Aug. 21, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kentucky returning All-American Queen Nzenwa was tabbed a preseason All-SEC member Thursday as announced by the league office. The 2008 preseason All-SEC squad is a first for SEC volleyball.
Nzenwa was one of nine members elected by fellow SEC coaches. The returning middle blocker is Kentucky’s school record holder in block assists for a career and a season. A year ago, she was named first team All-SEC after charting 174 block assists for the season and leading the team with a .371 hitting percentage. Nzenwa added AVCA All-America honorable mention honors and a spot on the AVCA All-Region first team after helping lead the Wildcats to their school first three-peat at the NCAA Tournament.
The senior from Baltimore, paced the conference averaging 1.61 blocks per set, and the .371 hitting percentage topped the league. Four times last season she tallied 12 blocks in a match, a career-high. Throughout the season she earned five double-double matches and eclipsed double-figure kills in a match 22 times.
A team of nine athletes were selected for the honors. LSU led all schools with three selections, followed by Florida with two. The coaches’ preseason All-SEC team consists of a minimum of seven players. Each SEC Head Volleyball Coach voted for seven players and no ties were broken.
In a class-by-class breakdown, seven seniors were named to the team, followed by one junior and one sophomore. By division, the East had five recognized, and the West had four.
A complete list of the 2008 SEC Volleyball Coaches Preseason All-SEC team follows:
Preseason All-SEC, Team, Pos., Ht., Cl., Hometown
Kelsey Bowers, Florida, MB, 6-2, Sr., Gainesville, Fla.
Elyse Cusack, Florida, L, 5-9, Jr., Melrose, Fla.
Maria Taylor, Georgia, OH, 6-2, Sr., Alpharetta, Ga.
Queen Nzenwa, Kentucky, MB, 6-2, Sr., Baltimore, Md.
Lauren DeGirolamo, LSU, MB, 6-1, Jr., Belleville, Ill.
Elena Martinez, LSU, L, 5-8, Sr., New Orleans, La.
Kyna Washington, LSU, OH, 5-11, Sr., Houston, Texas
Rachel Kieckhaefer, Ole Miss, S, 5-11, Sr., Hartford, Wis.
Nikki Fowler, Tennessee, OH, 6-2, So., Dallas, Texas
*Ties were not broken
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for complete coverage of the Kentucky volleyball team.
