Nov. 17, 2011

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Mountain West All-Conference Volleyball awards, as selected by the league's eight head coaches, were announced tonight at the 2011 Mountain West Championship Awards Dinner at the Student Union Building Ballroom on the campus of the University of New Mexico. Colorado State senior Katelyn Steffan was named Player of the Year, while teammate Deedra Foss was named Newcomer of the Year. TCU's Stephanie Holland was voted Freshman of the Year and Tom Hilbert of Colorado State was selected Coach of the Year.

Steffan, a native of Dickinson, N.D., is the fifth player from Colorado State to earn MW Player of the Year honors (Angela Knopf - 2000-2001; Melissa Courtney - 2003-04; Mekana Barnes - 2007; Danielle Minch - 2009-10). Steffan led the Rams to their ninth Mountain West regular season title and third in a row. Steffan, who moved to outside hitter this season, finished the regular season second in the league in points (4.47) and kills (3.71) per set in Conference matches. She also ranks second in the MW in kills (3.70) and points (4.43) per set in overall matches. Steffan has tallied double-digit kills in 18 matches this season.

Holland, a right-side hitter from Richardson, Texas, is the first Horned Frog to earn MW Freshman of the Year accolades. In league play, she ranked fourth in hitting percentage at .338 with 1.91 kills per set. Holland completed the season ranked eighth in hitting percentage (.314) with 1.86 kills per set in overall matches.

Foss, a red-shirt freshman setter from McKenna, Wash., earned the MW's second Newcomer of the Year award after finishing second in assists per set (10.84) and sixth in aces per set (0.27) in league play. Overall, Foss ranked second with a 10.71 average in assists and fourth in aces at 0.29 per set. She also tallied 19 matches with over 30 assists and a season-high of 66 at Wyoming on Oct. 8.

Hilbert was named Mountain West Coach of the Year for the eighth time in the league's 13-year history. Hilbert led the Rams to their third consecutive MW regular season title and ninth overall. CSU is 19-5 overall and finished MW action at 12-2 to earn the No. 1 seed in the 2011 MW Championship. The Rams are currently receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Top-25 Poll.

Colorado State's Megan Plourde was named to the MW all-conference team for the third consecutive season, while San Diego State's Andrea Hannasch, Wyoming's Jodi Purdy and New Mexico's Allison Buck made their second consecutive all-MW team. Buck was named the team's designated libero, while SDSU sophomore Johnna Fouch earned the designated setter honor. Boise State setter/hitter Breann Nesselhuf became the first Bronco volleyball player to earn Mountain West honors. Wyoming's Erin Kirby earned her second all-MW honor of the calendar year. Kirby won the 2011 400-meter hurdle title at the MW Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May. Colorado State's Dana Cranston and Brieon Paige, New Mexico's Ashley Rhoades and Kelly Williamson, San Diego State's Raegan Shelton, and TCU's Kristen Hester, Sarah Joeckel and Jordan Raines round out the 2011 all-MW team.