Dec. 17, 2008

AVCA Release (PDF)

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Junior outside hitter Ellen Herman became the first player in Ohio volleyball history to claim All-America honors before her senior season on Wednesday, when the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) named her an honorable mention selection.

Eligible for All-America recognition by way of a selection to the AVCA All-Mideast Region team, Herman (Toledo, Ohio) is the fifth Ohio player to be named an AVCA All-American. Each of the previous four - Laura Hageman, Briana Adamovsky, Julia Winkfield and Melissa Griffin - captured the award in their final collegiate seasons.

The selection marks the second-consecutive year, and the fifth time in the last six seasons, that the Bobcats have placed a representative on an AVCA All-America team. Herman is also just the 10th student-athlete in the history of the Mid-American Conference to earn All-America distinction.

The 2008 season saw Herman turn in one of the most prolific offensive campaigns in program history, as she established new single-season rally-scoring records for kills (526) and kills per set (4.57), while also eclipsing the previous single-season overall and rally-scoring marks for total attacks (1,363). Her 4.57 kills per frame also led the MAC and ranked in the national top-10.

She became just the 10th player in school history to record 1,000 kills for her career on Sept. 13, and finished the season ranked sixth on both Ohio's career kills (1,427) and attacks (3,449) lists, as well as eighth on the career points ledger (1,568.5).

Not just an offensive threat, the health service administration major also posted career-best averages of 2.58 digs and 0.50 blocks per set over the course of the year.

Herman's on-court accomplishments led to a plethora of in-season awards, including a league-high four MAC East Player of the Week honors. She was also named the CVU.com National Player of the Week on Nov. 25 after propelling Ohio to its fifth MAC Tournament title in six years, and earned at least a share of MVP honors at both the Pitt Classic and Big Orange Tournament. She was also named to the all-tournament team at the season-opening Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic.