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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (November 16, 2017) - The Big Sky Conference has announced its 2017 Volleyball All-Conference team and individual awards. North Dakota, Sacramento State and Portland State all had three athletes earn first team all-conference honors, while Sacramento State and Portland State each had a total of four Big Sky all-conference honorees. The teams were selected by the league’s coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
Sacramento State’s Kennedy Kurtz was named this year’s Most Valuable Player after guiding the Hornets to a Big Sky regular-season title and 15-1 league record. The native of Tucson, Ariz., leads a Hornet offense that ranks first in the Big Sky in total assists (1,673) and second in assist average (12.87 assists/s) in all matches this season. Individually, Kurtz leads the league in total assists this season, piling up 1,453. The senior setter also ranks second all-time in the Big Sky in career assists (5,339), coming in behind another Hornet legend, Maureen Rafferty.
Idaho’s junior libero Alycia Wodke was tabbed this year’s Newcomer of the Year, transferring to Idaho this season from the College of Southern Idaho. She recorded her season-high of 26 digs on two occasions, once against DePaul and again versus Montana. Wodke tallied a season-best 10 assists against North Dakota in a five-set thriller. Wodke’s 4.6 digs per set average ranks fourth-best in the conference and leads all Big Sky juniors.
Picking up this year’s Libero of the Year award was Portland State’s Tasha Bojanic. The native of Belgrade, Serbia has dug a total of 445 balls this season at a league-best 4.94 digs per set average. The senior recorded a season-high of 32 digs in a huge four-set victory over North Dakota. Bojanic currently ranks 15th all-time in the conference in dig average (4.13 digs/s) and 20th all-time in total digs (1,558).
Northern Arizona’s Heaven Harris was named the 2017 Outstanding Freshman of the Year. Harris, an outside hitter from Phoenix, Ariz., ranks fourth in the Big Sky in hitting percentage (.366) in all matches this season. Harris has done her best when her best is needed, as the freshman recorded a season-high 18 kills against Sacramento State to hand the Hornets their only conference loss of the season. For her efforts, Harris also earned second team all-conference accolades. This marks the second-straight season that Northern Arizona has produced the Big Sky’s Outstanding Freshman of the Year.
In all, there were nine seniors, 12 juniors, two sophomores and one freshman that earned All-Conference honors. Sacramento State’s Kennedy Kurtz and North Dakota’s Sydney Griffin and Faith Dooley are the only players that returned to the first team from a year ago.
Additionally, there were three student-athletes that improved from the second team to the first team this year. These players include, Idaho’s Sarah Sharp, Northern Arizona’s Abby Akin and Sacramento State’s Shannon Boyle.
2017
| First Team All-Conference |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Kennedy Kurtz ^ |
Sacramento State |
Sr. |
Setter |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Faith Dooley# |
North Dakota |
Sr. |
Middle Blocker |
Wheatland, N.D. |
| Sarah Sharp |
Idaho |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Filer, Idaho |
| Erin Clark |
Portland State |
Sr. |
Setter |
Chino Hills, Calif. |
| Sydney Griffin# |
North Dakota |
Sr. |
Setter |
Marshall, Minn. |
| Mikaela Nocetti |
Sacramento State |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Carmichael, Calif. |
| Shannon Boyle |
Sacramento State |
Sr. |
Outside HItter |
Ridgefield, Wash. |
| Abby Akin |
Northern Arizona |
So. |
Middle Blocker |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Kaylie Jorgenson |
Northern Arizona |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Saskatoon, Canada |
| Caitlin Bettenay |
Portland State |
So. |
Outside Hitter |
Queensland, Australia |
| Jordan Vail |
North Dakota |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Tasha Bojanic |
Portland State |
Sr. |
Libero |
Belgrade, Serbia |
^ MVP, # Two-time First Team selection
| Second Team All-Conference |
| Player |
School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Kaela Straw |
Idaho |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Spokane, Wash. |
| DeVonne Ryter |
Idaho |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Sedona, Ariz. |
| Heaven Harris |
Northern Arizona |
Fr. |
Opposite Hitter |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Abby Garrity |
Idaho State |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Roseville, Calif. |
| Amanda Varley |
Weber State |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Bountiful, Utah |
| Kortney Lockey |
Northern Colorado |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Eaton, Colo. |
| Mikaelyn Sych |
Portland State |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Alberta, Canada |
| Andrea Hale |
Weber State |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Salem, Utah |
| Ashley Seiler |
Eastern Washington |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Cheney, Wash. |
| Lana Brown |
Sacramento State |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Redding Calif. |
| Emily O'Neil |
Northern Colorado |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Miami Shores, Fla. |
| Chloe Hirst |
Idaho State |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Individual Award Winners |
| Award |
Player, School |
Year |
Position |
Hometown |
| Most Valuable Player |
Kennedy Kurtz, Sacramento State |
Sr. |
S |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Top Newcomer |
Alycia Wodke, Idaho |
Jr. |
L |
Eugene, Ore. |
| Outstanding Freshman |
Heaven Harris, Northern Arizona |
Fr. |
Opp. H |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Libero of the Year |
Tasha Bojanic, Portland State |
Sr. |
L |
Belgrade, Serbia |
Coach of the Year
Ruben Volta - Sacramento State