Baylor volleyball had four players voted to the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Southwest Region First Team while Yossiana Pressley was named Southwest Region Freshman of the Year, announced Tuesday morning by the AVCA and voted on by the region’s head coaches.
Pressley earns her second Freshman of the Year nod, the first coming from the Big 12 Conference on Nov. 27. She’s the second Bear to be named Region Freshman of the Year and first since 2000 (Stevie Nicholas).
The Cypress, Texas native had a remarkable first season in Waco and became the first freshman in league history to lead in kills and points per set during conference play. After switching to her natural position of outside hitter for the second half of Big 12 action and the NCAA Tournament, Pressley had an impressive .300 attack efficiency for 5.33 kills per set.
Joining Pressley on the first team is two-time honoree Katie Staiger, Shelly Fanning and Hannah Lockin. This is the first season since 2009 that multiple Bears were named to the All-Region Team.
Staiger capped off an impressive career at Baylor last Saturday, finishing with 1,700 career kills which is good for second-best in program history. The 2016 Second Team All-American also finished with the second-most attacks at Baylor, logging 4,423 swings in 123 matches played.
Fanning and Lockin both earn their first All-Region nods. Fanning had the best attack percentage in a single season as she hit .376 for 314 kills out of the middle. Lockin finished her first season averaging 11.23 assists per set, good for third-best from a freshman and 10th-best in a single season at Baylor.
The Bears ended the 2017 season in the NCAA Tournament for the program’s first back-to-back postseason berths while also hosting the first and second rounds for the first time. BU took down Miami of Ohio in the opening round before falling to Colorado in the second round.
Up next, all four Bears will be considered for a spot on one of the 14-member First, Second, or Third Team All-American teams voted on by the AVCA membership and announced next week.
Fans can follow the action all season long with the team’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorVball.
DIVISION 1 SOUTHWEST REGION AWARDS:
Southwest Region Freshman of the Year: Yossiana Pressley
All-Region First Team –
* Katie Staiger, RSr.
Shelly Fanning, RSo.
Yossiana Pressley, Fr.
Hannah Lockin, Fr.
*Two-time All-Region First Team selection
