Four Wildcats Highlight 2004 All-Big 12 Volleyball Squad
Nov 28, 2004 | General
Dallas, Texas - Four Kansas State volleyball players highlighted the 2004 All-Big 12 volleyball teams released Sunday as seniors Gabby Guerre and Vali Hejjas were each named to the first team, while freshman Angie Lastra was named the Big 12 Libero of the Year. Also, senior middle blocker Lisa Martin was named to the league’s honorable mention squad.
Guerre was named to the first team for the third straight season, Hejjas for the second straight year and Martin earned honorable mention honors for the second straight year as well. Kansas State also brought home the Libero of the Year award for the third straight season as Lastra picked up where Laura Downey-Wallace left off the last two seasons. The category was added to the Big 12 all-conference awards in 2002.
Guerre, a 6-1 setter from Houston, Texas, became the first Wildcat to be a three-time All-Big 12 selection and the second Wildcat ever to be named first team all-conference three times. Shawnee Call was a three-time First Team All-Big 8 selection from 1986-88. Guerre has left an indelible mark on the Kansas State record book as she is among the school’s career leaders in five major categories. Guerre is tied for the school record in career triple-doubles with five, is third in career assists with 4,876, eighth in games played with 414, ninth in service aces with 115 and sixth in hitting percentage at .314. In four seasons, Guerre has collected 62, 40-plus assist matches, 26 50-plus, and 6 matches with 60 or more assists. Guerre also has collected 43 double-doubles and has had 10 or more kills 15 times and 10 or more digs 42 times in her career as she is Kansas State’s all-time kills leader by a setter. Now a three-time All-Big 12 selection, Guerre was also named an honorable mention All-American in 2003 by the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association. A 3.56 student majoring in mechanical engineering, Guerre is also a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection and was recently named to the Academic All-District VI Team.
Hejjas, after being named the Big 12’s Newcomer of the Year last season, was named to the first team for the second straight season. A 5-11 outside hitter from Kecskemet, Hungary, Hejjas, in just two seasons, has turned into one of the most dynamic and explosive volleyball players in Kansas State history. Hejjas has collected 10 career double-doubles, has had 10 or more kills in 49 matches and 20 or rmore kills in six matches over the past two seasons. Hejjas also is third in the K-State record books in kills-per-game for a career with her 3.69 per-game average. Last season, Hejjas’ 448 kills were the 10th most in school history, her 1,137 attacks were the 10th most in school history and her 51 service aces were the sixth-most ever in a season. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week honoree, Hejjas also became just the sixth player in school history to tally 30 kills in a match when she collected 30 at Baylor two weeks ago. This season, Hejjas has led the Wildcats with 409 kills on .283 hitting from the left side.
A six-foot middle blocker from Hutchinson, Kansas, Martin was named to the honorable mention team for the second straight season after a strong 2004 season at the net. She is fourth all-time at K-State with 388 block assists and set a new single-season block assist record this season with 143. She is also among the career leaders in hitting percentage as her .325 mark in four seasons is the fourth-best in school history. In four seasons, Martin also has collected at least one block in 80 of her last 82 matches, including a current streak of 31 matches, and has five or more blocks in 41 career matches. Among the Big 12’s most efficient attackers this season, Martin has hit .300 or higher in 55 career matches, .400 or higher in 33 and has collected 10 or more kills 34 times in her career.
Lastra, a freshman from Carolina, Puerto Rico, kept the league’s libero of the year award in Manhattan for the third straight season after totalling 461 digs, a 4.31 per-game average, while leading the Big 12 in service aces with 63. Her 63 aces and .60 aces per-game average are 16th in the nation and second in the Kansas State single-season record books. Her 461 digs are the third most in single-season school history as Lastra collected 10 or more digs in 26 of 29 matches this season, including 15 with 15 or more digs and three with 30 or more digs.
2004 ALL-CONFERENCE BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Name, School
Melissa Elmer, Nebraska
Allie Griffin, Colorado
Gabby Guerre, Kansas State
Valeria Hejjas, Kansas State
Bethany Howden, Texas
Lindsey Hunter, Missouri
Laura Jones, Texas A&M
Josiane Lima, Kansas
Melissa Munsch, Texas A&M
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska
Jennifer Saleaumua, Nebraska
Mira Topic, Texas
Jessica Vander Kooi, Missouri
*Team of 13 due to a tie in voting.
HONORABLE MENTION
Name, School
Shen Danru, Missouri
Desiree Guilliard-Young, Baylor
Kelly Johnson, Texas Tech
Brandy Magee, Texas
Lisa Martin, Kansas State
Michelle Moriarty, Texas
Ashley Nu’u, Colorado
2004 Big 12 Conference Awards
Coach of the Year: Jerritt Elliott, Texas
Players of the Year: Mira Topic, Texas
Newcomer of the Year: Dariam Acevedo, Texas
Freshman of the Year: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska
Defensive Player of the Year: Melissa Munsch, Texas A&M; Jennifer Saleaumua, Nebraska
Libero of the Year: Angie Lastra, Kansas State
KSU
