The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball claims four All-America awards, Faucette lands National Freshman of the Year honors
12.12.2007 | Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The third-ranked Texas Volleyball team placed a total of four players on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America teams and freshman outside hitter Juliann Faucette garnered National Freshman of the Year honors.
Faucette was named first-team All-America, while sophomore outside hitter Destinee Hooker was named to the second team. Senior setter Michelle Moriarty and junior middle blocker Lauren Paolini earned spots on the third team.
Each of the three AVCA All-America Teams is comprised of 12 athletes. The Division I AVCA National Player of the Year will be announced on Dec. 14 at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet in Sacramento, Calif.
Faucette earns Texas' second-ever AVCA National Freshman of the Year honor, with Demetria Sance claiming UT's only other national honors in 1995. The San Diego, Calif., native was Texas' lone representative on the first team and its first member of the first team since Mira Topic (2004). Faucette has already been named AVCA All-Central Region First Team, AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 Freshman of the Year. She led the Longhorns with 445 kills on the year, while averaging 4.49 kills per-game and hitting at a .324 clip. The freshman ranked fourth in kills and fourth in points in the Big 12 Conference this season.
Hooker, a San Antonio, Texas, native lands second-team All-America honors after being named honorable mention All-America in 2006. The sophomore has already been named AVCA All-Central Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team. Hooker paced the Longhorns attack in 2007, averaging a team-best 4.52 kills per-game and posting a team-high 26 service aces and 31 solo blocks. She hit at a .339 clip for the year and added 2.00 digs and 1.02 blocks per-game.
Moriarty adds her third AVCA All-America award after earning third team honors in 2006 and honorable mention accolades in 2005. The Houston, Texas, native has been named AVCA All-Region four straight seasons and All-Big 12 for four consecutive years, including first team honors in 2007. Moriarty is Texas' all-time leader in assists, recording 5,819 assists during her four seasons at the helm of the UT offense. In 2007, Moriarty ranked atop the Big 12 with 14.18 assists per-game and ranks fourth in the NCAA as the sport enters its final weekend of play. The senior led Texas to a .343 team hitting percentage in 2007, a mark that ranks second in the NCAA stats.
Paolini's selection to the third team is her first All-America award and third postseason honor after claiming AVCA All-Region First Team and All-Big 12 First Team honors. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native led Texas in total blocks (130) and tied for the team lead in blocks per-game (1.26). She led the UT squad in hitting in 2007 and currently ranks seventh nationally with a .418 hitting percentage.
The Longhorns concluded the season with a 27-4 mark and their second straight appearance in the NCAA Regional finals. Texas earned its first Big 12 Conference title in 2007, marking the program's first conference championship since 1997. The Longhorns return three 2007 All-Americans in 2008 along with 2006 second-team AVCA All-American Ashley Engle.
