Three Volleyball Gators Named Preseason All-SEC
Monday, August 17, 2009 | Volleyball
University of Florida volleyball players comprise one-third of the 2009 Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Team, announced Monday by the league office in Birmingham, Ala.
Senior libero Elyse Cusack (Melrose, Fla.), sophomore outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) and sophomore right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) each were named to the nine-person preseason All-SEC team.
The coaches preseason All-SEC team consists of a minimum of nine players, who are voted on by the league coaches. Florida led all schools with three selections, followed by Kentucky with two. In addition, Alabama, LSU, South Carolina and Tennessee all had a student-athlete named to the team.
The Gators are the only team in the SEC to have placed an underclassman on the preseason team, as Jaeckel and Murphy are both sophomores. Every other player on the preseason team is either a junior or senior.
Cusack enters her senior season as Florida's all-time career digs leader with 1,634 scoops. She is a two-time AVCA honorable mention All-America selection who was a second-team All-SEC selection in 2008, a year in which she also was named AVCA All-South Region.
Cusack is the only player in school history to eclipse both the 1,500 and 1,600-dig marks for her career. She led the Gators and ranked second in the SEC a year ago with 4.61 digs per set. Cusack was a four-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week last season and has won the award a league-record nine times in her career.
Jaeckel was a 2008 SEC All-Freshman Team member who ranked second on the team in points with 3.30 per set. She also was second on the team in kills per set with 2.91 and averaged 1.17 digs.
Jaeckel, a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week selection in 2008, tallied 15 double-figure kill performances her rookie year and recorded three double-doubles. Jaeckel has extensive experience playing with the United States A2 Team.
Murphy is the 2008 National Freshman of the Year by both the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine, becoming the first player to earn that honor. She also is the 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year and tied for the national lead in triple-doubles a year ago with six, a mark that also set the school's career record.
Murphy finished the 2008 campaign ranked eighth in the SEC in kills per set with 3.22. In conference matches only, she ranked sixth in the league with 3.45 put-downs per set. She was second in the SEC in hitting percentage (all matches) with a .358 clip and was second on the team in digs with 1.88 per set. Murphy averaged 5.50 assists per set as part of a 6-2 offensive scheme.
The University of Florida is home to the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Regional. To order 2009 regular season and NCAA Regional tickets, log on to www.GatorZone.com/tickets. Follow Florida Volleyball on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorZoneVB and Coach Mary Wise on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorMary.
PRESEASON ALL-SEC VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Brooks Webster, Alabama, Sr., OH
Elyse Cusack, Florida, Sr., L
Kristy Jaeckel, Florida, So., OH
Kelly Murphy, Florida, So., RS/S
Lauren Rapp, Kentucky, Jr., RS/MB
Sarah Rumely, Kentucky, Sr., S
Britnee Cooper, LSU, Sr., MB
Ivana Kujundzic, South Carolina, Sr., OH
Nikki Fowler, Tennessee, Jr., OH
END OF REPORT
