OMAHA, Neb. — University of Hawai‘i outside hitters Jamie Houston and Kanani Danielson earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors, yesterday, being named to the second and third teams, respectively. Houston averaged a team-high 4.05 kills per set, adding 0.75
OMAHA, Neb. — University of Hawai‘i outside hitters Jamie Houston and Kanani Danielson earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors, yesterday, being named to the second and third teams, respectively.
Houston averaged a team-high 4.05 kills per set, adding 0.75 blocks and 1.78 digs per set. The senior was named WAC Player of the Year for the second-straight season, while becoming just the second player in Hawai‘i history to end her career with over 2,000 kills (2,061). Houston was named WAC Player of the Week three times, earning Most Outstanding Player honors in the Chevron Invitational and the WAC Tournament. She also was named to the all-tournament team at the NCAA Regional in Ft. Collins, Colo.
The Huntsville, Ala., native had 20-plus kills in four matches on the season, including a 22-kill match in the WAC Championship match vs. New Mexico State (Nov. 23). She also had a string of five-straight matches hitting at least .500 with double-digit kill totals during the season. This is Houston’s second All-America award, earning third team honors in 2006.
Danielson is one of just two freshmen on the All-America teams, along with national freshman of the year Kelly Murphy, from Florida. The ‘Ewa Beach, O‘ahu, native hit .286 in her first collegiate season with 3.02 kills, 2.91 digs and 0.49 blocks per set, despite playing only in the back row for a stretch of four matches during the year.
The freshman came up big in big matches, hitting .366 with 21 kills and 16 digs in the win over No. 12 Minnesota (Sept. 4), posting 21 kills and 16 digs in the win over No. 9 Washington (Sept. 13), hitting .310 with 13 kills and 15 digs in the win at No. 11 Southern California (Dec. 6), and hitting .400 with 21 kills in the win over No. 17 Purdue in the NCAA Regional.
The Kamehameha graduate was the WAC and AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year, earning all-tournament honors in the Chevron Invitational and Most Outstanding Player honors in The Honolulu Advertiser Challenge.
Junior outside hitter Aneli Cubi-Otineru and sophomore setter Dani Mafua were listed at AVCA All-America honorable mention honorees as well.
Cubi-Otineru had great all-around numbers, averaging 2.41 kills, 2.28 digs, 0.44 blocks and 0.32 aces per set, while Mafua finished in the top 20 of the country with an 11.20 assists per set average, setting Hawai‘i’s offense which ranks in the top 10 in all offensive categories.
The awards will be presented on Friday at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet at the Qwest Convention Center in Omaha, Neb., where the AVCA will also announce the national player of the year.
