Volleyball's Cusack, Murphy Earn All-America Honors
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 | Volleyball
Florida's Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.) and Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) each earned 2009 All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the organization announced Wednesday from its annual convention in Tampa, Fla.
Murphy was named a second-team All-American, while Cusack earned honorable mention All-America honors for the third consecutive year.
Murphy, a first-team All-SEC selection in 2009 and the AVCA National Freshman of the Year in 2008, earns the honor after being named a third-team All-American a year ago. She ranked second in the nation in triple-doubles in 2009 with nine on the year and holds Florida's career (15) and single-season (9) triple-double records.
Murphy finished the 2009 campaign ranked third in the SEC in hitting percentage (.344) and seventh in assists per set (7.04). As one of the team's primary setters, who exclusively ran the team's 5-1 offense over the last six matches of the year, Murphy helped Florida become the league's leader in hitting percentage with a .291 hitting clip over the course of the season.
Murphy hit better than .300 in 13 of the team's last 16 matches and charted 16 double-doubles on the year. She also ranked third on the team in kills per set (2.92) and was third in blocks (0.58).
Cusack, who became the SEC's all-time career digs leader in last Friday's second-ending loss to No. 1 Penn State, finished her Florida career with 2,138 career scoops and was a 13-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week selection, including four times during the 2009 campaign.
Cusack, a second-team All-SEC selection in 2009, finished the 2009 campaign ranked second in the SEC in digs per set with 4.67 and compiled double-figure digs in 115 of 123 career matches, including 28 of the team's 31 contests this past season. Cusack is the only player at the libero/defensive specialist position in school history to earn AVCA All-America honors and she is a three-time honorable mention selection.
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 14 athletes. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Dec. 18 at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet.
The selections were made by the AVCA Division I All-America Committee: chair - Debbie Kirch, Green Bay; Andy Banachowski, UCLA; Keylor Chan, Northwestern; Joe Getzin, Ole Miss; Christy Johnson-Lynch, Iowa State; Mike Jordan, New Mexico State; Anne Kordes, Saint Louis; and Lee Maes, Virginia. The AVCA Awards Chair is Dayton head volleyball coach Kelly Sheffield.
For all of the latest information on Florida volleyball, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/volleyball.
2009 AVCA DIVISION I FIRST-TEAM ALL-AMERICA
| Player | Institution | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown |
| Blair Brown ^ | Penn State University | RS/Opp. | Jr. | 6-5 | Purcellville, Virginia |
| Brittnee Cooper | Louisiana State University | MB | Sr. | 6-2 | Houston, Texas |
| Hana Cutura *@ | University of California | OH | Sr. | 6-4 | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Kanani Danielson # | University of Hawai'i | OH | So. | 5-10 | Ewa Beach, O'ahu |
| Laura DeBruler ^ | University of Illinois | OH | Jr. | 5-11 | Downers Grove, Illinois |
| Ashley Engle *+ | The University of Texas | S/H | Sr. | 6-3 | Yorba Linda, California |
| Lauren Gibbemeyer # | University of Minnesota | MB | Jr. | 6-2 | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Alisha Glass *@ | Penn State University | S | Sr. | 6-0 | Leland, Michigan |
| Megan Hodge *$! | Penn State University | OH | Sr. | 6-3 | Durham, North Carolina |
| Destinee Hooker *@ | The University of Texas | OH | Sr. | 6-4 | San Antonio, Texas |
| Cassidy Lichtman | Stanford University | S/H | Jr. | 6-1 | Poway, California |
| Ashley Mass # | Iowa State University | DS/Lib. | Jr. | 5-8 | Muskego, Wisconsin |
| Arielle Wilson ^ | Penn State University | MB | Jr. | 6-3 | Broadview, Illinois |
| Lexi Zimmerman ^ | University of Michigan | S | Jr. | 5-10 | Barrington, Illinois |
2009 AVCA DIVISION I SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICA
| Player | Institution | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown |
| Brianna Barry | Florida State University | MB | Sr. | 6-3 | Winter Springs, Florida |
| Kindra Carlson | University of Washington | RS/Opp. | Jr. | 6-1 | Eaton, Colorado |
| Brooke Delano | University of Nebraska | MB | So. | 6-4 | Bellevue, Nebraska |
| Amanda Gil | UCLA | MB | So. | 6-6 | San Jose, California |
| Alix Klineman *@ | Stanford University | OH | Jr. | 6-4 | Manhattan Beach, California |
| Carli Lloyd ^ | University of California | S | Jr. | 5-11 | Bonsall, California |
| Kaylee Manns ^ | Iowa State University | S | Sr. | 5-10 | Topeka, Kansas |
| Tamari Miyashiro ^% | University of Washington | DS/Lib. | Sr. | 5-7 | Kanehoe, Hawai'i |
| Kelly Murphy # | University of Florida | S/H | So. | 6-2 | Wilmington, Illinois |
| Sonja Newcombe | University of Oregon | OH | Sr. | 6-1 | Lake Arrowhead, California |
| Janet Okogbaa | Stanford University | MB | Sr. | 6-3 | Tampa, Florida |
| Rachel Rourke | Oregon State University | OH | Sr. | 6-5 | Queensland, Australia |
| Sarah Rumely | University of Kentucky | S | Sr. | 5-11 | New Palestine, Indiana |
| Ali Troost | University of San Diego | RS/Opp. | Jr. | 6-2 | Hemet, California |
2009 AVCA DIVISION I THIRD-TEAM ALL-AMERICA
| Player | Institution | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Hometown |
| Sarah Ammerman | Texas A&M University | OH | Sr. | 6-2 | Parker, Colorado |
| Sydney Anderson ^ | University of Nebraska | S | Jr. | 6-0 | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Ashley Benson | Indiana University | MB | Jr. | 6-3 | Bloomington, Indiana |
| Taylor Carico @ | University of Minnesota | S | Sr. | 6-0 | Manhattan Beach, California |
| Aneli Cubi-Otineru | University of Hawai'i | OH | Sr. | 5-11 | Hale'iwa, O'ahu |
| Megan Dooley | University of Pittsburgh | MB | Sr. | 6-1 | West Chester, Ohio |
| Neticia Enesi ^ | University of Oregon | MB | Sr. | 6-1 | The Dalles, Oregon |
| Juliann Faucette $ | The University of Texas | OH | Jr. | 6-2 | San Diego, California |
| Lindsay Fletemier | University of Dayton | MB | Jr. | 6-6 | Garden City, Michigan |
| Jenna Hagglund # | University of Washington | S | Jr. | 5-10 | West Chester, Ohio |
| Victoria Henson | Iowa State University | OH | Sr. | 5-11 | Leavenworth, Kansas |
| Alex Jupiter | University of Southern California | OH | So. | 6-3 | Hermosa Beach, California |
| Juliana Paz | University of Michigan | OH | Jr. | 6-2 | Porto Allegre, Brazil |
| Serinity Phillips | University of Notre Dame | RS/Opp. | Sr. | 5-11 | Valley Center, California |
* indicates 2008 AVCA First-Team All-America selection
^ indicates 2008 AVCA Second-Team All-America selection
# indicates 2008 AVCA Third-Team All-America selection
$ indicates 2007 AVCA First-Team All-America selection
@ indicates 2007 AVCA Second-Team All-America selection
% indicates 2007 AVCA Third-Team All-America selection
! indicates 2006 AVCA First-Team All-America selection
+ indicates 2006 AVCA Second-Team All-America selection
2009 Division I AVCA Freshman of the Year: Lauren Cook, UCLA, S
2009 Division I AVCA Player of the Year: Announced at AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet on Dec. 18, 2009
2009 AVCA Division I Honorable Mention All-America
Kyndra Abron (MichiganState, OH, So.)
Sandra Adeleye (Clemson, MB, Fr.)
Gabi Ailes (Stanford, DS/Lib., Jr.)
Lola Arslenbekova (Louisville, OH, Fr.)
Johannah Bangert (Illinois, MB, )Jr.
Jennifer Banse (TexasA&M, RS/Opp., Sr.)
Taylor Barnes (Baylor, S, Sr.)
Michelle Bartsch (Illinois, RS/Opp., So.)
Jovanna Bjelica (FloridaInternational, OH, Fr.)
Ellie (Blankenship, Northern Iowa, DS/Lib., Jr.)
Anna Breyfogle (Baylor, MB, Sr.)
Lecia Brown (Louisville, MB, Sr.)
Lane Carico (Miami, OH, So.)
Kellie Catanach (Duke, S, So.)
Stephanie Champine (Austin Peay, OH, Sr.)
Kori Cooper (Nebraska, MB, Sr.)
Elyse Cusack (Florida, DS/Lib., Sr.)
Sam Dabbs (LSU, S, Sr.)
Visnja Djurdjevic (Tulane, OH, So.)
Darcy Dorton (Penn State, OH, Fr.)
Katie Dull (Ohio State, OH, Jr.)
Kourtney Edwards (Texas Christian, MB, Sr.)
Bridget (Fonke, Saint Louis, OH, Sr.)
Nikki Fowler (Tennessee, RS/Opp., Jr.)
Chloe Goldman (Tennessee, DS/Lib., Sr.)
Jessica Gysin (Southern California, OH, Sr.)
Taylor Hadfield (New Mexico, RS/Opp., Jr.)
Hillary Haen, Illinois, S, Jr.)
Tyler Henderson (Tulsa, OH, Fr.)
Ellen Herman (Ohio, OH, Sr.)
Kim Hill (Pepperdine, MB, So.)
Christy Hudson (Texas Christian, RS/Opp., Jr.)
Amber Kaufman (Hawai'i, MB, Sr.)
Rachel Lindelow (Tulane, S, Sr.)
Dani Mafua (Hawai'i, S, Jr.)
Sammi McCloud (Saint Louis, RS/Opp., Sr.)
Monique Mead (Georgia Tech, RS/Opp., Fr.)
Ashley Mell (Southern Miss, OH, So.)
Sarah Mendoza (Kentucky, OH, Jr.)
Danielle Minch (Colorado State, OH, Jr.)
Sabel Moffett (Northwestern, MB, Jr.)
Rachael Moss (Duke, OH, Sr.)
Megan Munce (Texas Christian, S, So.)
Kelsey Murphy (Clemson, S, Sr.)
Kayla Neto (Cal State Fullerton, MB, Fr.)
Stephanie Niemer (Cincinnati, OH, Jr.)
Kate Nobilio (Northwestern, DS/Lib., Sr.)
Jasmine Norton (Arkansas, OH, Fr.)
Bre Payton (Northern Iowa, Setter/Hitter, So.)
Kari Pestolesi (UC Irvine, OH, Jr.)
Juliane Piggott (UC Irvine, OH, Jr.)
Jordana Price (Florida State, MB, Sr.)
Yarimar Rosa (Florida International, OH, Sr.)
Michelle Rossi (Pittsburgh, DS/Lib., Sr.)
Whitney Roth (Saint Louis, S, Sr.)
Bianca Rowland (Washington, MB, So.)
Rebecca Saraceno (UC Santa Barbara, OH, Sr.)
Kaitlin Sather (UCLA, OH,, Sr.)
Meredith Schamun (Rice, S, Jr.)
Kelsea Seymour (Southern Miss, S, So.)
Marina Skender (LSU, OH, Sr.)
Emily Stockman (Wichita State, OH, Sr.)
Mary Ashley Tippins (Georgia Tech, Setter/Hitter, Jr.)
Natalia Valentin (Florida International, S, Jr.)
Naomi Washington (Long Beach State, OH, Sr.)
Hannah Werth (Nebraska, OH, Fr.)
Jessica Wolfe (Butler, OH, Jr.)
Yun Yi Zhang (Temple, OH, Sr.)
END OF REPORT
