The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball earns five Big 12 Preseason honors
08.03.2016 | Volleyball
Orie Agbaji was named Preseason Freshman of the Year, while four others were named to the Preseason Team.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas freshman Orie Agbaji was named Preseason Freshman of the Year and seniors Chloe Collins, Chiaka Ogbogu and Paulina Prieto Cerame and junior Ebony Nwanebu were all named to the Preseason Team, the Big 12 Conference announced on Wednesday.
The five players marks the most of any team in the conference.
The preseason team and awards are chosen by league coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own student athletes.
Agbaji's preseason Freshman of the Year distinction is the ninth all-time for the Horns.
She will join the Texas squad as the fourth-ranked player on the PrepVolleyball 2016 Senior Aces list. She was named one of Volleyball Magazine's Top 5 Players in the Class, a Volleyball Magazine Girls' Fab 50 selection and a 2016 Under Armour First Team All-American.
Collins, Prieto Cerame and Ogbogu will all embark on their senior year as unanimous selections. They were all named to the 2015 Big 12 First Team and received AVCA All-America honors.
Nwanebu will begin her first season with the Horns after taking a medical redshirt in 2015.
The 2016 Big 12 volleyball preseason poll will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 4. The season begins on Friday, Aug. 26 with conference play beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
2016 BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON TEAM & AWARDS
Preseason Player of the Year: Kelsie Payne, Kansas
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Orie Agbaji, Texas
Preseason Team
Name, School Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown
Shelly Fanning, Baylor MH 6-2 So. Houston, Texas
Alexis Conaway, Iowa State* MB/OH 6-0 Jr. Orange City, Iowa
Morgan Kurht, Iowa State* OH/RS 6-1 Sr. Waverly, Iowa
Ainise Havili, Kansas^* S 5-10 Jr. Fort Worth, Texas
Kelsie Payne, Kansas^* RS 6-3 Jr. Austin, Texas
Tayler Soucie, Kansas* MB 6-1 Sr. Osawatomie, Kan.
Katie Brand, Kansas State* S 6-1 Jr. Grand Island, Neb.
Marion Hazelwood, Oklahoma* MB 6-3 Jr. Beach City, Texas
Madison Ward, Oklahoma OH 6-1 Sr. Lawton, Okla.
Ashley Smith, TCU^ OH 6-1 Sr. League City, Texas
Chloe Collins, Texas^* S 5-7 Sr. Cypress, Texas
Ebony Nwanebu, Texas OH 6-4 Jr. Fairview, Texas
Chiaka Ogbogu, Texas^* MB 6-2 Sr. Coppell, Texas
Paulina P. Cerame, Texas^* OH 6-2 Sr. San Juan, Puerto Rico
Lauren Douglass, Texas Tech MB/RS 6-2 Jr. Flower Mound, Texas
*Unanimous selection
^2015 All-Big 12 First Team honoree
