Colorado State University Athletics
AVCA names three to all-West region squad
12/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 5, 2007
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The 2007 Colorado State volleyball team has plenty to be proud of after winning the Mountain West regular-season title and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships but the honors continue to mount as CSU placed three players on the 2007 AVCA All-Region team, the AVCA announced Monday.
Mountain West Player of the Year Mekana Barnes was joined by Designated Setter Ashley Fornstrom and all-MWC outside hitter Jaime Strauss on the team. The honor is the first of their career for each of the student athletes. The honors mean that each of the athletes is now eligible for all-district honors.
Barnes, the 2007 MWC Player of the Year, led the Rams to their fifth outright MWC regular-season title. Barnes leads the league and ranks fourth nationally in blocks per game (1.65). She is second in the league in hitting percentage (.401, 12th nationally), fourth in points per game (5.09) and eighth in kills per game (3.93). Barnes set a new MWC all-time record in total blocks with 19.0 on Sept. 21 and was honored as the MWC Player of the Week four times this season. Barnes was also one of two Conference players to be named AVCA Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week in 2007.
Fornstrom, a Cheyenne, Wyo., native, earned her first all-region selection after ranking first in the MWC with 13.72 assists per game in overall matches (currently eighth nationally). In conference matches, she tallied 788 total assists (14.55 per game) which surpassed her previous career season-best of 760, set in 2006, as the all-time high in MWC history. Fornstrom was named MWC Player of the Week on Oct. 22, and is one of two current Conference players to have more than one triple-double for their career.
Strauss, an all-conference selection and MWC Player of the Week honoree in 2007, ranked second in the league in kills (4.81) and points (5.35) per game in conference matches. In overall matches, she is currently fifth in kills per game and (4.21) and sixth in points per game (4.85).
West Region
Kylie Atherstone Cal Poly RS/Opp. Jr. Mekana Barnes Colorado State University MB Jr. Alexis Crimes**** Long Beach State Univ. MB Sr. Rachel Dyer Brigham Young University MB Jr. Ashley Fornstrom Colorado State University S Jr. Chelsea Goodman** Brigham Young University OH Sr. Jaclyn Houston Cal Poly MB Jr. Jamie Houston** University of Hawai'i OH Jr. Lauren Miramontes UNLV MB Sr. Amanda Nielson Utah State University RS/Opp. Sr. Kim Oguh*** New Mexico State University MB Sr. Jaime Strauss Colorado State University OH Jr.
Region Freshman of the Year: Kari Pestolesi, UC Irvine, S Honorable Mention: Lori Baird (Utah, MB, Jr.), Michaela Hasalikova (Long Beach State, MB, Sr.), Erica Lott (BYU, RS/Opp., Sr.), Kari Pestolesi (UC Irvine, OH, Fr.), Juliana Sanders (Hawai'i, MB, Sr.), Amber Simpson (New Mexico State, MB, Jr.)