Colorado State University Athletics
Rams volleyball success continues
1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 14, 2009
By John Manuszak
Athletic Media Relations
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The Colorado State volleyball team just completed another successful season, capped off by their 14th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.
The Rams finished the season with a 23-7 record, a second place finish in the Mountain West standings and a trip to the second round of the tournament. CSU was ranked in the AVCA Top 25 all season long including being ranked as high as No. 12 during September.
The Rams knocked off Florida International in the opening round of the tournament before falling to the University of Florida in three sets on the Gators' home floor.
Several members of the Rams were honored for their outstanding play during the season. Seniors Mekana Barnes and Ashley Fornstrom, and junior Tessa Nelson, were named to the Mountain West all-conference team.
Fornstrom, the Mountain West's all-time leader in assists, was named the Setter of the Year for the second consecutive season. She led the conference in assists per set (11.21) and total assists (1,132). The Cheyenne, Wyo., native posted two of the top three assist matches of the season with 61 at BYU on Nov. 20 and 59 against New Mexico on Oct. 12. It marks the seventh time in the last 10 years that CSU has produced the MWC Setter of the Year.
"I think Ashley was unanimously the best setter in our conference," said Head Coach Tom Hilbert. "She does a lot of different things for us. She blocks well. She serves well. She plays defense and she gets the ball to the people who need it, and I'm glad she got this award again because she deserves it."
Barnes, a 6-0 middle blocker from Highlands Ranch, Colo., earned her third consecutive spot on the all-conference team after leading the MWC in blocks per set (1.50), while ranking second in kills (3.40), hitting percentage (.354) and points per set (4.46), and ranking ninth in service aces per set (0.24). In conference matches this season, Barnes led the Rams in kills per set (3.54), total kills (216), hitting percentage (.357), block assists (83), solo blocks (7), total blocks (90), blocks per set (1.48) and total points (276.5). She was named the MWC Player of the Week on two occasions during the season (Sept. 22 and Oct. 13).
"Mekana is still the most dominant, physical player in the conference and she was recognized for that," said Hilbert. "She was a consistent go-to player for us all season and the player that every team that played us made as the No. 1 part of their scouting report. That's a hard role to play and she played it well."
Nelson, a 6-2 middle blocker from Balaton, Minn., earned her first all-conference selection after ranking sixth in the conference in blocks per set (1.19) and seventh in hitting percentage (.313). In 16 conference matches, she ranked second on the team in hitting percentage (.342) and blocks (1.16 per set) while ranking third in points. She was named the MWC Player of the Week on Sept. 29.
"I was really pleased to see Tessa get honored with this because she's played really well during conference," said Hilbert. "She adjusts to different positions well and does what we need her to do. She blocks well, hits well and keeps her errors way down. She stacks up against the best middle blockers in the conference. I'm glad we have her for another year."
Although the Rams will lose three seniors (Barnes, Fornstrom and Jaime Strauss), CSU will be strong once again in 2009. Next season, Nelson will be joined by fellow junior, libero Katelin Batten, along with Danielle Minch, Katelyn Steffan, Audrey Hemmings and Evan Sanders and the Rams will once again be poised for another successful season.
