Melissa Elmer (Fort Wayne, Ind.),
Sarah Pavan (Kitchener, Ontario) and Christina Houghtelling (Cambridge, Neb.)
were all chosen as first-team All-Americans, while Jennifer Saleaumua (National
City, Calif.) received third-team honors, as three 12-member teams were selected
in voting by the AVCA committee.
The
honorees, which improved Nebraska’s NCAA leading total to 53 certificates among
26 athletes, marked just the second time that Nebraska has had four
All-Americans in one season with the other coming in 2001. It also was the first
time since 1995 that Nebraska had three first-team honorees. Including 2005,
Nebraska has had multiple first-team selections 12 times in school history,
including five times in John Cook’s six seasons.
The
group is led by a pair of repeat selections in senior Melissa Elmer and
sophomore Sarah Pavan. Elmer leads the nation in blocks, as she averages 2.18
blocks per game. The 6-foot-2 senior has had at least 10 blocks in a match 10
times this season, including a Big 12 record 16 stuffs at Kansas on Oct.
8. She also ranks among the national leaders with a .387 hitting
percentage. A three-time All-American, Elmer, who earned MVP honors at the
InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge and the Sports Imports Classic, earned
second-team accolades as a sophomore before garnering first-team honors in each
of the last two seasons.
Pavan also became a two-time
first-team All-American with Wednesday’s selection. The Big 12 Player of the
Year, Pavan ranks among the league leaders in hitting percentage (.351, eighth),
kills (seventh), blocks (seventh), aces (0.31, 12th) and points per game (fifth,
4.76). She has topped NU in kills 12 times, including a season-best 22 kill
performance against Missouri on Nov. 13. Pavan has had four double-doubles and
also posted a triple-double with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs against
Pepperdine on Sept. 8.
Houghtelling was honored as an AVCA
All-American for the first time in 2005, the only one of the four Huskers to be
honored for the first time. She was the Big 12’s top outside hitter, averaging
3.71 kills, 2.45 digs and 1.00 blocks per game and ranks fourth in the Big 12
with a .375 hitting percentage. She has hit over .400 in 18 matches, including
nine of the last 12 contests. Houghtelling earned MVP honors at the AVCA/NACWAA
Showcase and at last weekend’s NCAA regional, when she had 18 kills on .615
hitting and six blocks against No. 4 Florida.
Saleaumua earned her second
All-America certificate with her selection to the third team. The 5-foot-11
senior is the two-time Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Year and averages 3.82
digs, 2.29 kills and 0.81 blocks per game. She tops all Big 12 outside hitters
in digs per game, and has had six double-doubles this season, including a
13-kill, 12-dig effort against UCLA in the regional semifinal. She is one of
only two players in school history to have over 1,000 kills and digs, as she
holds NU’s career digs record with 1,522 entering the national semifinals.
In
all five of the 12 first-team selections were from the Big 12, as Missouri’s
Lindsey Hunter and Texas A&M’s Laura Jones were also
honored,
The
No. 1 ranked Huskers will take on No. 11 Santa Clara in Thursday’s second
semifinal, which is set for 8 p.m. (central) on ESPNU. The match will also be
shown live at the Devaney Center, and doors open at 7:30 p.m. Fans who can’t
watch Thursday’s match can also listen to it on the Pinnacle Sports Network,
including B107.3 FM and KFAB 1110 AM.