BYU-Hawaii’s Shih Ting Chen, Ying Chun Chen and CBU’s Carmona earn top PacWest awards

PHOENIX, AZ – BYU-Hawaii freshman middle blocker Shih Ting Chen (Yunlin, Taiwan) has been named the 2011 Pacific West Conference Volleyball Player of the Year.

The PacWest announced the honor on Thursday, Nov. 17, on the PacWest Magazine Radio Show on KQCK in San Tan Valley, Ariz.

In addition to the PacWest Player of the Year award, the conference released its Libero, Freshman, Newcomer and Coach of the Year honors, as well as its All-PacWest Team.

The head coaches of the PacWest vote on the All-PacWest squad, selecting a First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention.

Chen led the Seasiders to a PacWest Championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II National Tournament – including a 3-1 opening-round victory vs. Seattle Pacific on Nov. 17 – by hitting .263 and averaging 4.54 kills per set during the regular season. She also averaged 5.02 points and 3.5 digs per set. She was named All-PacWest First Team for her outstanding rookie campaign.

The PacWest Freshman of the Year honor went to BYU-Hawaii rookie setter Ying Chun Chen (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) who averaged 11.19 assists per set during the regular season. She also posted 2.79 digs, 0.54 blocks and 0.40 aces per set.

California Baptist junior opposite Ingrid Carmona (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) was named the PacWest Newcomer of the Year and an All-PacWest First Team member for her breakthrough season in 2011. She averaged 5.09 points, 4.60 kills and 3.03 digs per set during the regular season. She also hit .262.

The Co-Liberos of the Year were Grand Canyon freshman Mackenzie Phelps (Prescott, AZ/Prescott) and BYU-Hawaii senior Losaline Pula (Salt Lake City, UT/Highland). Phelps totaled 538 digs and averaged 5.33 digs per set, while Pula averaged 4.67 digs per set. Both players earned All-PacWest First Team honors.

For Pula, it was a repeat performance. She earned her third straight All-PacWest First Team selection this year after being named to the squad in 2009 and 2010. She also was the 2008 Freshman of the Year.

For leading the Seasiders to the PacWest Championship and the NCAA II Tournament, BYU-Hawaii’s Wilfred Navalta was named the PacWest Coach of the Year for the second straight season. It marked Navalta’s fourth Coach of the Year honor since the PacWest reformed in 2006-07. He claimed the award in 2008 and 2006.

BYU-Hawaii placed three players on the All-PacWest First Team, including junior outside hitter Lauren Hagemeyer (Ridgway, CO/Ridgway) who was a 2010 First Team selection. She hit .330 during the regular season, averaged 3.93 points and 3.50 kills per set, and was solid on defense by averaging 0.78 blocks per set.

Grand Canyon junior setter Kristen Preach (Phoenix, AZ/Xavier Prep) – the 2009 Freshman of the Year and a 2010 Honorable Mention – gave the Antelopes two First Team choices in 2011. She hit .325 and averaged 9.29 assists per set.

Hawai‘i Hilo senior middle blocker Hillary Hurley (Anderson, CA/Enterprise) picked up her third All-PacWest First Team selection after claiming the honor in 2007 and 2010. During her career she was named the PacWest Player of the Year in 2007 and 2010. This season Hurley hit .280 and averaged a stunning 7.03 points per set. She also posted a 6.49 kills-per-set average to go along with her 3.29 digs per set mark. She totaled 513.5 points and 474 kills this season to go along with a 0.67 blocks-per-set average.

Dixie State senior right side Alex Shearer (Park City, UT/Park City) rounds out the All-PacWest First Team after posting a 3.83 points-per-set mark and a 2.93 digs-per-set rate.

The All-PacWest Second Team featured six newcomers, including two representatives each from Hawai‘i Pacific and Grand Canyon.

HPU senior outside hitter Natasha Bell (Sunnyvale, CA/Kings Academy) and junior outside hitter Sanoe Recca (Waimanalo, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Oahu) produced solid seasons for the Sea Warriors. Recca averaged 2.74 kills, 3.02 points and 3.34 digs per set, while Bell contributed 2.54 kills, 0.43 aces, 3.02 points and 3.06 digs per set.

GCU senior OH Brooke Blomenkamp (Gering, NE/Gering) and senior MH Stephanie McBride (Newbury Park, CA/Newbury) also were named All-PacWest Second Team. Blomenkamp averaged 3.03 points, 0.63 blocks, 2.21 digs, 0.42 aces and 2.50 kills per set, while McBride contributed a .303 hitting percentage along with 2.20 kills, 1.22 blocks and 3.19 points per set.

Academy of Art senior OH Leinani Keanini (Kailua, HI/Iolani) made All-PacWest Second Team by averaging 3.49 points, 3.59 digs and 3.16 kills per set. California Baptist senior MB Bree Rauschenbach (Wildomar, CA/California Lutheran) contributed 3.31 points, 0.70 blocks, 2.23 kills and 0.68 aces per set.

The All-PacWest Honorable Mention Team featured Academy of Art senior MB Amy Bush (Yucaipa, CA/Yucaipa) and California Baptist sophomore MB Jelena Dragovic (Belgrade, Serbia). Bush earned the same award last season.

Dragovich averaged 2.93 points, 1.05 blocks and 2.16 kills per set to go along with a .384 hitting percentage, while Bush hit .302 and averaged 2.24 points and 0.82 blocks per set.

Dixie State senior Morgan Hill (Logan, UT/Logan) – a 2009 Second Team selection – earned Honorable Mention in 2011 thanks to a solid campaign that produced a .324 hitting percentage. She also registered 3.30 points, 0.99 blocks and 2.67 kills per set.

Dominican (CA) sophomore OH Jessica Jones (Sacramento, CA/Christian Brothers) earned a place on the Honorable Mention Team after averaging 2.38 points and 2.08 kills per set. She also contributed 0.46 blocks per outing.

Hawai‘i Pacific senior libero Kyra Pelayo (San Jose, CA/Saint Francis) – the 2010 Libero of the Year, All-PacWest Honorable Mention in 2009, and First Team member in 2010 – earned her third All-PacWest selection in 2011 with an Honorable Mention. She averaged 6.24 digs and 0.42 aces per set during the season.

Chaminade sophomore OH Crystal Powell (Honolulu, HI/Word of Life) made the Honorable Mention squad after averaging 2.79 points and 2.49 kills per set.

Notre Dame de Namur senior OH Christina Villamayor (Poway, CA/Poway) wrapped up her career with a fourth All-PacWest honor.

In addition to 2011, Villamayor was an Honorable Mention in 2008 and 2009, and a First Team choice in 2010. In 2011, she averaged 4.39 points, 3.92 kills and 2.77 digs per set.