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Three Utes Named to Pac-12 Volleyball All-Academic Team
12/1/2016 12:23 PM | Volleyball
Katoa and Openshaw named all-academic for secont time; Oblad earns first all-academic honor
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Three University of Utah student-athletes were named to the 2016 Pac-12 Volleyball All-Academic Team, the league office announced on Thursday.
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Junior outside hitter Eliza Katoa was named a first-team selection, sophomore setter Jessie Openshaw was named a second-team honoree and sophomore Berkeley Oblad was tabbed honorable mention.
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Katoa and Openshaw were named to the all-academic team for a second consecutive season, while Oblad earns all-academic honors for the first time in her career. Katoa was tabbed a second-team selection last season, while Openshaw earned honorable mention accolades.
Katoa was one of five players on the team to register at least 200 kills on the season, posting 206 kills and a 1.76 kills-per-set average in the regular-season. She hit .264 on the year, while notching 11 assists, a pair of service aces 54 digs and 73 total blocks, which ranked third-most on the team.
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Openshaw tallied 571 assists and a 5.49 assists-per-set average in Utah's 6-2 offensive scheme. She totaled 184 digs on the season and accounted for seven double-doubles on the season. Openshaw posted team-high assist marks in 14 of 31 matches this season.
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Oblad totaled 225 kills during the regular-season, averaging 1.91 kills-per-set with a .288 hitting percentage. She recorded 21 service aces and was second on the team with 111 total blocks (0.94/set). Oblad set new single-match career-highs in kills (15), aces (4), digs (6) and total blocks (9) during her sophomore campaign.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 and be either a starter or significant contributor.
The Utes are currently in Provo, Utah, preparing for its NCAA Tournament First Round match-up with UNLV, which will take place this Friday, Dec. 2 at Smith Fieldhouse. First serve is set for 5 p.m. MT.
2016 PAC-12 ALL-ACADEMIC VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Halle Harker, Arizona State
Eliza Katoa, Utah
Maddy Kerr, Cal
Laura Larson, Arizona
Cassidy Pickrell, Arizona State
Casey Schoenlein, Washington State
McKenna Woodford, Washington State
SECOND TEAM
Hailey Bethune, Washington State
Kory Cheshire, Oregon State
Jennie Frager, UCLA
Reilly Killeen, Arizona
Jessie Openshaw, Utah
Lanesha Reagan, Oregon State
Stephanie Shadley, Colorado
HONORABLE MENTION
Naghede Abu, SO, COLO; Taylor Agost, JR, ORE; Inky Ajanaku, RS SR, STAN; Jordan Anderson, SR, UCLA; Carmen Annevelink, SO, CAL; Ryann Chandler, RS JR, UCLA; Carly DeHoog, JR, WASH; Katelyn Driscoll, RS SR, OSU; Jordan Dunn, JR, USC; Kayla Ellis, SO, OSU; Victoria Garrick, SO, USC; Sumeet Gill, SO, ORE; McKenna Hollingsworth, RS SO, OSU; Kelsey Humphreys, SR, STAN; McKenzie Jacobson, RS JR, ARIZ; Alyssa Jensen, SR, CAL; Crissy Jones, JR, WASH; Destiny Julye, SO, WASH; Amanda Kirtley, SO, CAL; Merete Lutz, RS JR, STAN; Haley MacDonald, SR, WSU; Lexi MacLean, SO, ASU; Mary-Kate Marshall, JR, OSU; Claire Martin, SO, WSU; Kalei Mau, SR, ARIZ; Halland McKenna, SO, STAN; Reni Meyer-Whalley, JR, USC; Zana Muno, SO, UCLA; Kacey Nady, SR, ORE; Berkeley Oblad, SO, UTAH; Anna Pfefferle, JR, COLO; Alice Pizzasegola, SR, USC; Kyra Rogers, SO, UCLA; Elise Ruddins, SR, USC; Maggie Scott, JR, ORE; Cierra Simpson, SR, COLO; Gabby Simpson, JR, COLO; Tani Stephens, SR, WSU; Bailey Tanner, JR, WASH; Lila Toner, SR, OSU; Lindsey Vander Weide, SO, ORE; Ivana Vanjak, RS JR, STAN; Taylor Whittingham, SR, USC.
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Junior outside hitter Eliza Katoa was named a first-team selection, sophomore setter Jessie Openshaw was named a second-team honoree and sophomore Berkeley Oblad was tabbed honorable mention.
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Katoa and Openshaw were named to the all-academic team for a second consecutive season, while Oblad earns all-academic honors for the first time in her career. Katoa was tabbed a second-team selection last season, while Openshaw earned honorable mention accolades.
Katoa was one of five players on the team to register at least 200 kills on the season, posting 206 kills and a 1.76 kills-per-set average in the regular-season. She hit .264 on the year, while notching 11 assists, a pair of service aces 54 digs and 73 total blocks, which ranked third-most on the team.
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Openshaw tallied 571 assists and a 5.49 assists-per-set average in Utah's 6-2 offensive scheme. She totaled 184 digs on the season and accounted for seven double-doubles on the season. Openshaw posted team-high assist marks in 14 of 31 matches this season.
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Oblad totaled 225 kills during the regular-season, averaging 1.91 kills-per-set with a .288 hitting percentage. She recorded 21 service aces and was second on the team with 111 total blocks (0.94/set). Oblad set new single-match career-highs in kills (15), aces (4), digs (6) and total blocks (9) during her sophomore campaign.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 and be either a starter or significant contributor.
The Utes are currently in Provo, Utah, preparing for its NCAA Tournament First Round match-up with UNLV, which will take place this Friday, Dec. 2 at Smith Fieldhouse. First serve is set for 5 p.m. MT.
2016 PAC-12 ALL-ACADEMIC VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Halle Harker, Arizona State
Eliza Katoa, Utah
Maddy Kerr, Cal
Laura Larson, Arizona
Cassidy Pickrell, Arizona State
Casey Schoenlein, Washington State
McKenna Woodford, Washington State
SECOND TEAM
Hailey Bethune, Washington State
Kory Cheshire, Oregon State
Jennie Frager, UCLA
Reilly Killeen, Arizona
Jessie Openshaw, Utah
Lanesha Reagan, Oregon State
Stephanie Shadley, Colorado
HONORABLE MENTION
Naghede Abu, SO, COLO; Taylor Agost, JR, ORE; Inky Ajanaku, RS SR, STAN; Jordan Anderson, SR, UCLA; Carmen Annevelink, SO, CAL; Ryann Chandler, RS JR, UCLA; Carly DeHoog, JR, WASH; Katelyn Driscoll, RS SR, OSU; Jordan Dunn, JR, USC; Kayla Ellis, SO, OSU; Victoria Garrick, SO, USC; Sumeet Gill, SO, ORE; McKenna Hollingsworth, RS SO, OSU; Kelsey Humphreys, SR, STAN; McKenzie Jacobson, RS JR, ARIZ; Alyssa Jensen, SR, CAL; Crissy Jones, JR, WASH; Destiny Julye, SO, WASH; Amanda Kirtley, SO, CAL; Merete Lutz, RS JR, STAN; Haley MacDonald, SR, WSU; Lexi MacLean, SO, ASU; Mary-Kate Marshall, JR, OSU; Claire Martin, SO, WSU; Kalei Mau, SR, ARIZ; Halland McKenna, SO, STAN; Reni Meyer-Whalley, JR, USC; Zana Muno, SO, UCLA; Kacey Nady, SR, ORE; Berkeley Oblad, SO, UTAH; Anna Pfefferle, JR, COLO; Alice Pizzasegola, SR, USC; Kyra Rogers, SO, UCLA; Elise Ruddins, SR, USC; Maggie Scott, JR, ORE; Cierra Simpson, SR, COLO; Gabby Simpson, JR, COLO; Tani Stephens, SR, WSU; Bailey Tanner, JR, WASH; Lila Toner, SR, OSU; Lindsey Vander Weide, SO, ORE; Ivana Vanjak, RS JR, STAN; Taylor Whittingham, SR, USC.
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Players Mentioned
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