Dec. 14, 2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Six Mountain West volleyball student-athletes were named to the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America team today. 2011 Mountain West Player of the Year Katelyn Steffan, a senior outside hitter from Colorado State, was named AVCA All-America Third Team, along with teammate Megan Plourde, a junior middle blocker who was named MW Preseason Player of the Year. New Mexico's Allison Buck (Sr., L) and Ashley Rhoades (Sr., MB), San Diego State's Andrea Hannasch (Jr., MB) and Wyoming's Jodi Purdy (Jr., OH) were named honorable mention. Plourde is the only repeat honoree in the group after being named honorable mention in 2009 and 2010.

Six all-America honorees ties for second-most named from the league in 13 seasons. This season marks the eighth consecutive year that the Mountain West has had four or more student-athletes recognized with all-America honors. Since 1999, 50 MW student-athletes have earned all-America status.

Mountain West AVCA All-America Notes

• Colorado State: Steffan and Plourde are the 24th and 25th Rams to earn AVCA All-America honors. It is the fifth year in a row that Colorado State has been represented on the team.

• New Mexico: Buck and Rhoades are the 10th and 11th Lobos to earn AVCA All-America honors. It is the fourth consecutive year that the Lobos have placed student-athletes on the all-America team, after not having any recipients since 1992.

• San Diego State: Hannasch is the 16th Aztec to earn AVCA All-America honors. It is the first time since 1988 that the Aztecs have had a student-athlete named to the all-America team.

• Wyoming: Purdy is just the second Cowgirl to earn AVCA All-America honors. It is the first time since 1989 that the Cowgirls have had a student-athlete named to the all-America team.