Big West Nabs Five On AVCA All-America Honorable Mention List

12/14/2011

A week after picking up American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-West Region honors, five Big West Conference players earned a spot on the 2011 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention list, as announced by the committee today. Making the elite list is 2011 Big West Player of the Year Jennifer Keddy (Cal Poly), Long Beach State's Caitlin Ledoux and Haleigh Hampton and UC Santa Barbara duo Chelsey Lowe and Stacey Schmidt.

Aside from pacing the Big West Conference with a 4.06 kill average, Keddy ranked in the league's Top 10 in three categories. The 6-4 middle blocker currently sits third in hitting percentage with a .339 clip and blocks with a 1.22 average. Keddys 4.85 points per set average ranks first in the Big West and 22nd in the nation. Hailing from Missoula, Mont., Keddy collected three Big West Player of the Week awards this season, with the most recent coming this week after tallying her eighth double-double of the season (16 kills,11 digs). Earlier this season, she became the first Mustang to earn Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU.com) National Player of the Week accolades. She did so back on Oct. 18, after posting a pair of career-highs with 22 kills and 17 digs.

Ledoux, a three-time honorable mention All-American, was also named to the all-region team for a third time, joining six other 49ers in that honor. A senior outside hitter, Ledoux led the 49ers in 2011 with 3.61 kills per set, and had 211 digs while playing all six rotations for the 49ers, and was selected despite missing six matches due to injury. She was one of just three 49ers to finish her career with over 1,500 kills and 1,000 digs.

Hampton had a breakout season with the 49ers as a sophomore. Leading the 49ers with 330 kills on .336 hitting, the middle blocker will again finish in the top five nationally in blocking after coming in third as a freshman. Hampton currently ranks third nationally with 1.61 blocks per set, and led the nation with 39 solo blocks, helping the 49ers rank second nationally in blocking as a team. The sophomore led the Big West in blocking and finished fifth in hitting percentage.

Schmidt averaged 2.93 kills per set and 0.91 blocks per set this season while hitting .278. For her efforts, she was named to the All-Big West First Team for the third straight season. Schmidt becomes the eighth Gaucho to be named to the All-West Region Team more than once in her career.

Lowe set a school record with her 652 total digs, for an average of 5.30 per set. That total placed her among the top 30 liberos in the nation. The Yorba Linda, Calif. native finished her career ranked in the schools top-10 in total digs and she was named to the All-Big West First Team as well. She was the first UCSB back row player to be honored as an AVCA All-West Region Team selection since Kristin Nelson in 2004.