Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State Receives Conference, Program Record Six All-Mountain West Honors
11/27/2017 3:33:00 PM | Volleyball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado State volleyball set a Mountain West Conference and Colorado State record, six volleyball players earning All-Mountain West honors, the league office announced today.
Sophomore setter Katie Oleksak was named the conference Player of the Year, while redshirt freshman outside hitter Breana Runnels received Newcomer of the Year. Oleksak gives the Rams their first Player of the Year award since 2015 and 13th time in Mountain West program history. Runnels is CSU's fourth Newcomer of the Year and is the third-consecutive Ram to have garnished the award. Head Coach Tom Hilbert was named Mountain West Coach of the Year for the 10th time and his 15th conference Coach of the Year award in his career.
Jasmine Hanna, Kirstie Hillyer, Paulina Hougaard-Jensen, Katie Oleksak and Breana Runnels all earned All-Conference, while Sanja Cizmic earned honorable mention.
Hanna, Hillyer and Oleksak all earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season. CSU has had at least five players earn All-Mountain West honors for four season in a row.
Jasmine Hanna | Senior | Outside Hitter | Queen Creek, Arizona
Hanna earned All-MW honors for the second consecutive season following another strong campaign, finishing second on the team in kills (3.01). She also eclipsed 1,000 career kills during the season on her way to becoming Colorado State's all-time kill leader in the modern scoring era. Hanna recorded 20 matches out of 31 with double-figure kills, including a season-high 16 at New Mexico and led the Rams in nine matches in kills. She finished the regular season with a .313 hitting percentage – one of the best marks for an outside in the modern scoring format at CSU.
Kirstie Hillyer | RS Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Bayfield, Colorado
Hillyer leads the team and Mountain West in blocks (1.49), while also ranking No. 14 in the nation and pacing the Rams that rank No. 14 in blocks per set (2.89). She has led the Rams in blocks 17 times this season, including in the last eight matches. Hillyer has reached double-figure blocks three times this season and tallied two double-double nights, (vs. Duke, vs. TCU). The 2016 Newcomer of the Year was named Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4 after posting a combined 20 blocks and added 35 kills on a .582 attack percentage. Hillyer is fourth on the team in kills (2.42) and has led the Rams in five matches this year, while also reaching double-digits nine times.
Katie Oleksak | Sophomore | Setter | Phoenix, Arizona
Oleksak has been the cornerstone of the Rams' offense, leading them in assists with a 12.02 set average – first in the Mountain West. She directs the No. 4 team in the country and conference leader in hitting percentage (.319), while also providing .76 blocks per set on defense. Oleksak led CSU in assists in all 31 matches this season and recorded 17, 40-plus assist matches. She also set a pair of Colorado State season records for the 25-point rally scoring era, tallying 1,310 assists and a 12.02 assists per set which is the most in the new format.
Paulina Hougaard-Jensen | Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Copenhagen, Denmark
Hougaard-Jensen earns her first conference award after leading the Rams with a .473 hitting percentage, which is also No. 2 in the nation. She also is third on the team in kills (2.42) and second on the team in blocks with a 1.23 mark, ranking No. 62 in the country. Hougaard-Jensen led the Rams 14 times this season in blocks, while recording 15 matches leading in hitting percentage. The sophomore recorded her first double-figure block match vs. Wyoming this season.
Breana Runnels | RS Freshman | Outside Hitter | Bakersfield, California
Runnels has had a breakout year for the Rams, the redshirt freshman leads CSU in kills (3.21) and accounts for almost 23-percent of the Rams kills. The outside hitter has recorded 18 double-digit matches and has led Colorado State in kills in 14 matches. Runnels reached the 20-kill level earlier this year at New Mexico, flooring 20 kills while hitting at a .306 clip.
Sanja Cizmic | Senior | Outside Hitter | Split, Croatia
Cizmic earned All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season, earning honorable mention after finishing the regular season fifth on the team in kills (2.31). She tallied over 40 aces over the season to lead the team and the Mountain West. Cizmic led the Rams in 12 matches and had 12 matches with more than one ace, including a career-high four aces at New Mexico this season. The Croatia native was named Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 after finishing with a .415 attack mark and 35 kills. She later went on to be named Sport Imports/AVCA Player of the Week on Sept. 12 for her performance.
Sophomore setter Katie Oleksak was named the conference Player of the Year, while redshirt freshman outside hitter Breana Runnels received Newcomer of the Year. Oleksak gives the Rams their first Player of the Year award since 2015 and 13th time in Mountain West program history. Runnels is CSU's fourth Newcomer of the Year and is the third-consecutive Ram to have garnished the award. Head Coach Tom Hilbert was named Mountain West Coach of the Year for the 10th time and his 15th conference Coach of the Year award in his career.
Jasmine Hanna, Kirstie Hillyer, Paulina Hougaard-Jensen, Katie Oleksak and Breana Runnels all earned All-Conference, while Sanja Cizmic earned honorable mention.
Hanna, Hillyer and Oleksak all earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season. CSU has had at least five players earn All-Mountain West honors for four season in a row.
Jasmine Hanna | Senior | Outside Hitter | Queen Creek, Arizona
Hanna earned All-MW honors for the second consecutive season following another strong campaign, finishing second on the team in kills (3.01). She also eclipsed 1,000 career kills during the season on her way to becoming Colorado State's all-time kill leader in the modern scoring era. Hanna recorded 20 matches out of 31 with double-figure kills, including a season-high 16 at New Mexico and led the Rams in nine matches in kills. She finished the regular season with a .313 hitting percentage – one of the best marks for an outside in the modern scoring format at CSU.
Kirstie Hillyer | RS Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Bayfield, Colorado
Hillyer leads the team and Mountain West in blocks (1.49), while also ranking No. 14 in the nation and pacing the Rams that rank No. 14 in blocks per set (2.89). She has led the Rams in blocks 17 times this season, including in the last eight matches. Hillyer has reached double-figure blocks three times this season and tallied two double-double nights, (vs. Duke, vs. TCU). The 2016 Newcomer of the Year was named Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4 after posting a combined 20 blocks and added 35 kills on a .582 attack percentage. Hillyer is fourth on the team in kills (2.42) and has led the Rams in five matches this year, while also reaching double-digits nine times.
Katie Oleksak | Sophomore | Setter | Phoenix, Arizona
Oleksak has been the cornerstone of the Rams' offense, leading them in assists with a 12.02 set average – first in the Mountain West. She directs the No. 4 team in the country and conference leader in hitting percentage (.319), while also providing .76 blocks per set on defense. Oleksak led CSU in assists in all 31 matches this season and recorded 17, 40-plus assist matches. She also set a pair of Colorado State season records for the 25-point rally scoring era, tallying 1,310 assists and a 12.02 assists per set which is the most in the new format.
Paulina Hougaard-Jensen | Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Copenhagen, Denmark
Hougaard-Jensen earns her first conference award after leading the Rams with a .473 hitting percentage, which is also No. 2 in the nation. She also is third on the team in kills (2.42) and second on the team in blocks with a 1.23 mark, ranking No. 62 in the country. Hougaard-Jensen led the Rams 14 times this season in blocks, while recording 15 matches leading in hitting percentage. The sophomore recorded her first double-figure block match vs. Wyoming this season.
Breana Runnels | RS Freshman | Outside Hitter | Bakersfield, California
Runnels has had a breakout year for the Rams, the redshirt freshman leads CSU in kills (3.21) and accounts for almost 23-percent of the Rams kills. The outside hitter has recorded 18 double-digit matches and has led Colorado State in kills in 14 matches. Runnels reached the 20-kill level earlier this year at New Mexico, flooring 20 kills while hitting at a .306 clip.
Sanja Cizmic | Senior | Outside Hitter | Split, Croatia
Cizmic earned All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season, earning honorable mention after finishing the regular season fifth on the team in kills (2.31). She tallied over 40 aces over the season to lead the team and the Mountain West. Cizmic led the Rams in 12 matches and had 12 matches with more than one ace, including a career-high four aces at New Mexico this season. The Croatia native was named Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 after finishing with a .415 attack mark and 35 kills. She later went on to be named Sport Imports/AVCA Player of the Week on Sept. 12 for her performance.
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