Kamana'o an All-American

The Hawaii setter returns to the AVCA first team, while sophomore hitter Jamie Houston earns third-team honors

KANOE Kamana'o capped her first collegiate season with the national freshman of the year award. She closes her career as just the second player in Hawaii volleyball history to receive All-America honors four times.

The senior setter yesterday was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America first team, one of four Rainbow Wahine who earned accolades. Sophomore hitter Jamie Houston, who led the Western Athletic Conference in kills, was named to the third team while senior hitter Sarah Mason and junior middle Juliana Sanders were honorable mention.

Kamana'o was named to the third team as a freshman, first team as a sophomore and third team last year.

"I guess this wasn't unexpected," she said. "But I was unsure of what team I'd be on. And it's awesome for Jamie, just a sophomore, and for Sarah and Juliana. We've never had that many."

Despite some urging from former teammates, Kamana'o said she would not include a Hawaiian chant as part of her acceptance speech, as former Wahine Lily Kahumoku did in 2003.

"I'll just go up and give a little thank you," she said.

Kamana'o joins Angelica Ljungquist (1993-96) as a four-time winner at UH, the 15th four-time honoree in the 26-year history of NCAA volleyball sponsorship. Kamana'o, who leaves tonight for tomorrow's All-America banquet in Omaha, Neb., finished her career as the UH and WAC assist and assists per game leader, as well as seventh on the NCAA career list in assists and eighth in career assists per game.

The Iolani School product, the three-time WAC Player of the Year, also ranks in the UH record book's top 10 in digs, block assists and aces. She is one of three seniors named to the 12-player first team yesterday, joined by UCLA middle blocker Nana Meriwether and Washington setter Courtney Thompson.

For Houston, it is her first All-America honor. She averaged 5.46 kills per game, ranking sixth in the country, while adding 2.57 digs per game. Houston also had 15 20-plus kill matches, including a career-high 35 kills in the NCAA regional semifinal victory over USC last Friday.

Hawaii coach Dave Shoji, in Omaha for this week's final four, said he expected Kamana'o and Houston to earn recognition but felt it was a long shot for both Mason and Sanders.

In her final year, Mason averaged 4.03 kills, 3.04 digs and 0.56 aces per game. She led the team in aces (65) and was second in kills and digs.

Sanders hit .350 with 2.27 kills and 1.48 blocks per game.

Freshman of the Year honors went to Penn State hitter Megan Hodge. The Coach of the Year will be announced today and Player of the Year tomorrow.

Yesterday's awards give Hawaii 44 certificates and 23 individuals honored. Nebraska leads with 57 certificates and 29 individuals, with Stanford at 52 certificates and 22 individuals, and UCLA with 36 certificates and 22 individuals.

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AVCA ALL-AMERICA VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

Freshman of the year: Megan Hodge, OH, Penn State

Coach of the year: Will be announced today

Player of the year: Will be announced tomorrow

FIRST TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Ht.
Foluke Akinradewo	Stanford	MB	So.	6-3
Cynthia Barboza	Stanford	OH	So.	6-0
Nicole Fawcett	Penn State	OH	So.	6-4
Megan Hodge	Penn State	OH	Fr.	6-3
Kanoe Kamana'o	Hawaii	S	Sr.	5-8
Jordan Larson	Nebraska	OH	So.	6-2
Angie McGinnis	Florida	S	Jr.	5-11
Nana Meriwether	UCLA	MB	Sr.	6-1
Christal Morrison	Washington	OH	Jr.	6-1
Sarah Pavan	Nebraska	RS/Opp	Jr.	6-5
Nellie Spicer	UCLA	S	So.	5-10
Courtney Thompson	Washington	S	Sr.	5-8

SECOND TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Ht.
Alesha Deesing	Washington	MB	Jr.	6-2
Ashley Engle	Texas	RS/Opp	Fr.	6-3
Christa Harmotto	Penn State	MB	So.	6-2
Asia Kaczor	USC	RS/Opp	Jr.	6-4
Bryn Kehoe	Stanford	S	Jr.	5-11
Marisa Main	Ohio State	S	Sr.	5-9
Amber McCray	Florida	RS/Opp	Jr.	6-0
Meredith Nelson	Minnesota	MB	Sr.	6-3
Angie Pressey	USC	OH	Jr.	5-8
Airial Salvo	Utah	OH	So.	6-0
Jackie Simpson	Wisconsin	S	Jr.	6-0
Tracy Stalls	Nebraska	MB	Jr.	6-3

THIRD TEAM

Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Ht.
Kristen Carlson	San Diego	OH	Sr.	6-2
Katie Carter	UCLA	OH	Sr.	6-3
Rachel Holloway	Nebraska	S	Fr.	5-10
Jamie Houston	Hawaii	OH	So.	6-1
Danielle Meyer	Ohio State	MB	Jr.	6-1
Michelle Moriarty	Texas	S	Jr.	5-10
Ashley Nu'u	Colorado	S	Sr.	5-10
Kristin Richards	Stanford	OH	Sr.	6-0
Eliane Santos	Oklahoma	MB	Sr.	6-2
Debora Seilhamer	USC	DS/Lib	Sr.	5-5
Jessica Swarbrick	Washington	MB	So.	6-1
Whitney Webb	Utah	RS/Opp	Jr.	6-1

HONORABLE MENTION

Jeannette Abbott (Clemson, OH, So.), Ashley Adams (Middle Tennessee, OH, So.), Allison anderson (Boston College, DS/Lib, Sr.), Diana Andreyko (Pittsburgh, OH, Jr.), Megan Argabright (Western Kentucky, MB, So.), Faye Barhorst (Dayton, MB, Sr.), Kelly-Anne Billingy (Marshall, OH, Jr.), Elizabeth Bishop (Cornell, OH, Sr.), Sarah Blum (Tennessee, MB, Sr.), Erin Boeve (Iowa State, MB, Jr.), Ivana Bozic (UAB, OH, So.), Abbey Breit (Jacksonville State, OH, Jr.), Katie Bruzdzinski (Michigan, OH, Jr.), Shelby Burton (Memphis, MB, Jr.), Anna Cmaylo (Santa Clara, MB, Jr.), Shonda Cole (South Carolina, OH, Sr.), Laura Cote (Memphis, S/H, So.), Alexis Crimes (Long Beach State, MB, Jr.), Elizabeth Curley (Hofstra, MB, Sr.), Carrie DeMange (Duke, MB, Jr.), Brittney Dolgner (Wisconsin, OH, Fr.), Katie Esbrook (Virginia Tech, MB, Sr.), Leanne Felsing (UW-Milwaukee, S/H, Jr.), Stephanie Figgers (Stephen F. Austin, DS/Lib, Sr.), Chelsea Goodman (BYU, OH, Jr.), Ali Hausfeld (Duke, S, Jr.), Cheryl Hegemann (Uw-Milwaukee, MB, Sr.), Danielle Hepburn (Clemson, MB, So.), Destinee Hooker (Texas, OH, Fr.), Hui Ping Huang (St. John's, OH, So.), Crystal Hudson (Alabama, MB, Jr.), Tealle Hunkus (Duke, OH, Sr.), Emily Kirkwood (Virginia, S, Sr.), Tatyana Kolesnikova (Louisville, OH, So.), Denitza Koleva (Arkansas, OH, Sr.), Viola Leszczynska (St. John's, S/H, Jr.), Stephanie Lynch (Purdue, MB, So.), Sarah Mason (Hawaii, OH, Sr.), Kate McCullagh (Northern Illinois, MB, Sr.), Tatyana Menshikova (Saint Louis, OH, Sr.), Jamie Mueller (Marquette OH, Sr.), Jessie Nevitt (Cincinnati, MB, So.), Colleen Nilson (Belmont, S, Jr.), Heather Norris (Murray State, DS/Lib, So.), Katherine Oakes (Virginia MB, Jr.), Kim Oguh (New Mexico State, MB, Jr.), Malama Peniata (Minneota, DS/Lib, Sr.), Sara Radosevic (Tulane, OH, So.), Daniela Romero (LSU, S, Sr.), Yarimar Rosa (Florida Int., OH, Fr.), Juliana Sanders (Hawaii, MB, Jr.), Joanna Schmitt (Oklahoma, OH, Sr.), Julia Silva (Tulsa, S, Jr.), Amber Simpson (New Mexico State, MB, So.), Ambria Springer (Illinois-Chicago, MB, Sr.), Ulrike Stegemann (Georgia Tech, RS/Opp, Jr.), Yuliya Stoyanova (Tennessee, OH, Jr.), Rubena Sukaj (American, OH, So.), Makini Thompson (Florida State, OH, Jr.), Kimberley Todd (Marquette, OH, Jr.), Emillie Toone (Utah, MB, Jr.), Jessica Vander Kooi (Missouri, OH, Sr.), Olivia Waldowski (UC Santa Barbara, MB, Sr.), Emily Withers (Jacksonville State, S, Sr.), Ana Yartseva-Stewart (Louisville, MB, Sr.).