Lincoln, Neb. -- A school-record
five Nebraska volleyball players were named to the 2001 American Volleyball Coaches
Association All-Central Region team, the AVCA announced Wednesday morning. Senior
right side hitter Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa) earned her third all-region honor,
while junior setter Greichaly Cepero (Dorado, Puerto Rico), junior middle blocker
Amber Holmquist (Houston, Texas), senior middle blocker Jenny Kropp (Grand Island,
Neb.) and junior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski (Columbus, Neb.) were recognized
for the second time in their careers.
There are eight AVCA regions,
and each has a 12-member all-region team. Players who earn all-region honors
then become eligible to receive All-America honors. The Huskers’ five all-region
selections tied Florida, which is in the South Region, for the most in the nation.
Long Beach State and Colorado State each had four players earn a spot on the
West Region squad.
Metcalf, who was also the
1999 and 2001 Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the Huskers in kills (4.28 per
game), digs (3.12 per game), service aces (36) and double-doubles (13), and
she recently joined former U.S. National Team captain Allison Weston as the
only two players in Nebraska history to record 1,400 career kills and 375 career
total blocks. A two-time AVCA All-American, Metcalf is also a member of the
2001 All-Big 12 first team — the third time she has received the honor
in her career.
Cepero was named to the
all-region team after guiding the Huskers to a .315 overall hitting percentage,
a mark that ranks sixth nationally. Cepero, the 2000 AVCA National Player of
the Year, is averaging 12.47 assists, 1.31 kills, 2.26 digs and 1.32 blocks
per game. Holmquist, a 2000 AVCA second-team All-American, led the Big 12 with
1.81 blocks per game and a .404 hitting percentage in 2001. Pilakowski, a 2000
AVCA first-team All-American, was the only outside hitter ranked among the league
leaders in hitting percentage with a .337 mark in Big 12 matches. Pilakowski
ranks second on the team in kills per game (3.39) and double-doubles (eight).
Kropp is second on the team with 1.80 blocks per game and a .367 hitting percentage.
She has amassed 468 career block assists, which ranks second on the NU career
charts.
The second-ranked Nebraska
is preparing to play host to the Colorado State, Pepperdine and Florida this
weekend as one of four NCAA Regional sites. The Huskers (29-1) will face CSU
(29-3) Friday at 7 p.m. at the NU Coliseum, while Pepperdine (23-3) and Florida
(27-1) will meet at 5 p.m. The winners will play each other in Saturday’s
7 p.m. regional final match for a berth in the NCAA Final Four, Dec. 13-15,
in San Diego.
