Brand Named AVCA Third Team All-America
Dec 14, 2016 | Volleyball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior Katie Brand further solidified her
place in Kansas State volleyball history by becoming the first Wildcat to be a
three-time All-America selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association
(AVCA), as the organization announced its annual award winners Wednesday.
The 6-1 setter was named to the third team
after collecting honorable mention honors after each of the past two seasons.
It is K-State’s 16th All-America selection in program history and
first third-team honor since Nataly Korobkova in 2008.
Brand finished the regular season as the Big
12’s leader in assists per set for the first time in her career and was named
first team all-conference for the third straight year. She set career highs
this season in both assists per set (11.27), total assists (1,341) and points
(194.5). Brand recorded over 100 kills and 300 digs for the third straight
season.
Among Division I setters who average at least
11.0 assists per set, Brand finished in the nation’s top five in total assists,
digs, points, kills and blocks and led all Big 12 setters in those categories.
The Grand Island, Nebraska, native ends her
career at K-State second in program history in the rally-scoring era (since
2001) with 4,859 assists and 68 double-doubles. Additionally, Brand is one of
three Wildcats sine 2001 with multiple 1,200-assist seasons and one of only
eight to ever join the Double-Grand Club as she eclipsed 1,000 career digs
earlier this season.
Brand has played in every set in her four-year
career at K-State, amassing 447 sets in 120 matches, which ranks fourth in
program history.
In addition to her All-America honor, Brand has
also garnered several other awards this year, including AVCA All-Midwest Region
First Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, Academic All-Big 12 First
Team and is currently one of 10 finalists for the prestigious Senior CLASS
Award.
Fourteen student-athletes were named to each of
the three All-America teams. Brand was one of two from the Big 12 selected to
the third team as seven student-athletes from the league were named to one of
the three teams.
Of the 16 All-America accolades in K-State
history, 13 have been under head coach Suzie Fritz.
