Three Wildcats Named All-Big 12
Dec 01, 2008 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. The Big 12 Conference announced its awards for the 2008 volleyball season and three Kansas State players received recognition. Seniors Rita Liliom and Nataly Korobkova both were selected to the All-Big 12 First Team by the coaches with fellow senior Megan Farr earning Honorable Mention.
Liliom finished the regular season with 483 kills which is tied for sixth in a season in K-State history. Her 4.13 kills per set also ranks 10th and tied with Destinee Hooker of Texas for the conference lead. She tallied double-digit kills in every match but one this season marking the second time in school history the feat has been accomplished. Liliom posted a season-high 23 kills in a come-from-behind win at Baylor and also reached 20 kills in six matches.
Korobkova backed her All-American season last year with another strong showing. She averaged 3.23 kills per set and pounded out 375 on the year. Korobkova also averaged 0.94 blocks per set to rank ninth in the conference. She reached double digits in kills in 19 matches posting 20-plus in three of them. Korobkova posted her highest kill total in a five-set loss to Texas with 23.
Megan Farr earned her second straight All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after averaging 1.24 blocks per set and hitting .350 from her middle blocker position. Farr finished third in the Big 12 in blocks per set and was second in conference matches only. She hit at least .300 in 20 of K-State’s 31 matches this season and posted five or more blocks 15 times. She posted her season total against Oklahoma when she was in on nine blocks. Farr also had a strong showing on the road against Texas A&M with eight block assists in just three sets.
Liliom’s and Korobkova’s selection to the first team brings K-State’s total to 14 first team members in head coach Suzie Fritz’s eight seasons. The addition of Farr to honorable mention brings the total All-Big 12 awards to 22.
2008 ALL-BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jordan Larson, Nebraska, OH, Sr., 6-2, Hooper, Neb./Logan View
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Sydney Anderson, Nebraska, So., S, 6-0, Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Michelle Kocher, Texas, S, 5-10, Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jordan Larson, Nebraska, OH, Sr., 6-2, Hooper, Neb./Logan View
LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Ashley Mass, Iowa State, L, So., 5-8, Muskego, Wis./Muskego
COACH OF THE YEAR: John Cook, Nebraska
ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM
Name, School Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown/Previous School
Taylor Barnes, Baylor S Jr. 5-11 Arlington, Texas/Martin
Anna Breyfogle, Baylor MB Jr. 6-0 Buda, Texas/Hays
Victoria Henson, Iowa State OH So. 5-11 Leavenworth, Kan./Leavenworth
Kaylee Manns, Iowa State S Jr. 5-10 Topeka, Kan./Washburn Rural
Rita Liliom, Kansas State OH Sr. 6-0 Budapest, Hungary/Csik Ferenc
Nataly Korobkova, Kansas State OPP Sr. 6-3 Krasnoyarsk, Russia/State Siberian Tech.
Sydney Anderson, Nebraska S So. 6-0 Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah
Kori Cooper, Nebraska MB Jr. 6-2 Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo
Jordan Larson, Nebraska OH Sr. 6-2 Hooper, Neb./Logan View
Tara Mueller, Nebraska OH So. 6-0 Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain
Ashley Engle, Texas OPP Jr. 6-3 Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza
Juliann Faucette, Texas OH So. 6-2 San Diego, Calif./Westview
Destinee Hooker, Texas OH Jr. 6-4 San Antonio, Texas/Southwest
Lauren Paolini, Texas MB Sr. 6-5 Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline
ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION
Name, School Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown/Previous School
Jen Malcom, Iowa State MB Sr. 6-1 Schaller, Iowa/Syracuse
Ashley Mass, Iowa State L So. 5-8 Muskego, Wis./Muskego
Megan Farr, Kansas State MB Sr. 5-10 Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan
Amanda Gates, Nebraska MB Sr. 6-2 Columbus, Neb./Columbus
Sarah Ammerman, Texas A&M OH Jr. 6-2 Parker, Colo./Chaparral
Mary Batis, Texas A&M OH Jr. 6-0 San Antonio, Texas/Clark
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Name, School Pos. Ht. Hometown/Previous School
Rachel Hockaday, Iowa State OH 6-0 Decatur, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth
Nicole Tate, Kansas S 5-10 St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh
Brianne Barker, Oklahoma S 5-9 Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo
Caitlin Higgins, Oklahoma OH 6-0 Amarillo, Texas/Tascosa
Michelle Kocher, Texas S 5-10 Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis
Amanda Dowdy, Texas Tech MB 6-3 Lexington, Texas/Lexington
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