Honors continue to roll in for Houston

Her team won't be in Sacramento, Calif., next week for the final four, but Jamie Houston could be.

Yesterday, the junior left-side hitter for Hawaii was named to the AVCA All-West region team, the final step before All-America honors are announced next week. Houston led the Rainbow Wahine with 5.51 kills per game, second in the country.

Houston, earlier named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year, also had 2.56 digs and 0.77 blocks per game. She was all-region last season and was named to the All-America third-team.

Senior middle Juliana Sanders was an all-region honorable mention. She hit for a team-high .349 with 2.55 kpg and 1.23 bpg, finishing her UH career fourth in block assists and fifth in total blocks.

Several players with Hawaii ties were also named to all-region teams yesterday. On the All-East team was St. John's junior libero Lena Yee (Moanalua '05) and Washington's sophomore libero Tamari Miyashiro (Kalani '05) made the All-Pacific team.

Also named All-West from the WAC were New Mexico State senior middle Kim Oguh and junior middle Amber Simpson (honorable mention), and Utah State senior opposite Amanda Nielson. The All-West Freshman of the Year was Kari Pestolesi (UC Irvine), the daughter of former Hawaii volleyball standouts Tom Pestolesi and Diane Sebastian Pestolesi.

The all-region coaches were also announced yesterday. Among the finalists for the national honor was Texas coach Jerritt Elliott, who played sparingly 1990.