The following is a press release courtesy of Iowa State athletics communications.
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State trio of Mackenzie Bigbee, Kristen Hahn and Victoria Hurtt were recognized on the 2013 Big 12 Preseason Volleyball Team, the conference announced Tuesday. Hahn and Hurtt were both unanimous selections as Iowa State joined Kansas and defending NCAA Champion Texas as the only squads to place three members on the 14-woman squad.
The Big 12 preseason awards are chosen by the conference’s coaches. The coaches are not allowed to vote for his or her own student-athletes.
Bigbee, a sophomore from Williamsburg, was the 2012 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Central Region Freshman of the Year. She made 24 starts for the Cyclones in 2012, ranking second on the squad with 2.77 kills per set and was third on the squad with 51 total blocks.
Hahn, a senior from Cedar Rapids, is one of the top liberos in the nation as a two-time AVCA All-American and two-time Big 12 Libero of the Year. Hahn won a Big 12-record eight weekly awards last season. She led the Big 12 at 5.44 digs per set and became the first player in ISU history to record back-to-back 600 dig seasons. She also led Iowa State with 32 service aces in 2012.
Hurtt, a junior from Kansas City, Mo., earned All-America Honorable Mention honors from the AVCA along with being a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2012. She led the 342 kills at 3.03 per set and recorded a team-best 21 matches with at least 10 kills.
On Wednesday, the Big 12 will announce the volleyball preseason poll.
Iowa State will hold the annual Cardinal and Gold Scrimmage on Aug. 24 at 1 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. Fans are encouraged to come early as Christy Johnson-Lynch and the Cyclone coaching staff will be hosting “Chalk Talk”. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. in Hilton Coliseum and is an opportunity for fans to learn about the rules and strategies of volleyball and ask questions to the Iowa State coaching staff.
Iowa State’s regular season will begin in Grand Forts, N.D. at the UND Classic against South Dakota State on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m.
