Colorado State University Athletics
Rams lead Mountain West in conference awards
11/26/2018 2:04:00 PM | Volleyball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado State volleyball led the Mountain West Conference, earning four Mountain West All-Conference awards, including garnishing the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
Junior setter Katie Oleksak was named the Mountain West Player of the Year, while head coach Tom Hilbert earned his 11th MW Coach of the Year award and 16th of his career. Oleksak earned back-to-back Player of the Year awards for the first time since Danielle Minch did in 2009-10 and gave Colorado State its 14th Player of the Year in program history.
Kirstie Hillyer, Paulina Hougaard-Jensen, Breana Runnels and Katie Oleksak all earned all-conference. Both Hillyer and Oleksak earned all-conference honors for the third-consecutive season, while Hougaard-Jensen and Runnels earned their second.
Kirstie Hillyer | RS Junior | Middle Blocker | Bayfield, Colorado
Hillyer leads the team and Mountain West in hitting percentage with a .357 mark, which also ranks 57th in the nation. The middle is second on the team in blocks with a 1.21 average and ranks No. 52 in the country. Hillyer earned Mountain West Player of the Week awards three times this season, with them all coming within four weeks of each other. Hillyer led the Rams in hitting percentage 13 times this season and 17 in blocks.
Katie Oleksak | Junior | Setter | Phoenix, Arizona
Oleksak has been the cornerstone of the Rams' offense for the past three seasons, leading them in assists every season, including an 11.58 average in 2018 – first in the Mountain West. She directs the No. 20 team in the country and conference leader in hitting percentage (.264), while also providing 0.78 blocks per set and 1.91 digs on defense. Oleksak led CSU in assists in all 30 matches this season and recorded 17, 40-plus assist matches. She also set a Colorado State record with 61 assists in a four-set match at Boise State and finished the regular season with seven double-doubles.
Paulina Hougaard-Jensen | Junior | Middle Blocker | Copenhagen, Denmark
Hougaard-Jensen earns her second conference award after leading the Rams with 1.3 blocks per set, which is 33rd in the nation. Her .356 hitting percentage is second in the league – behind Hillyer – and is No. 61 in Division I. The middle led the Rams in hitting percentage in 12 matches and 17 in blocks. The junior also holds the top three marks on the season for hitting percentage in a match.
Breana Runnels | RS Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Bakersfield, California
After earning Newcomer of the Year last season, Runnels again was a focal point in the Rams' offense, leading them and the Mountain West with 4.05 kills per set – 44th in the country. The outside led the Rams in 21 matches, including reaching double-figures in all 30 matches except four. In the final match of the regular season, the redshirt sophomore floored a career-high 23 kills and added 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the year.
The Rams will begin postseason play, making their 30th overall appearance – 24th consecutive – in the NCAA Tournament playing Tennessee in the first round in Pullman, Wash., on Friday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. MT.
Junior setter Katie Oleksak was named the Mountain West Player of the Year, while head coach Tom Hilbert earned his 11th MW Coach of the Year award and 16th of his career. Oleksak earned back-to-back Player of the Year awards for the first time since Danielle Minch did in 2009-10 and gave Colorado State its 14th Player of the Year in program history.
Kirstie Hillyer, Paulina Hougaard-Jensen, Breana Runnels and Katie Oleksak all earned all-conference. Both Hillyer and Oleksak earned all-conference honors for the third-consecutive season, while Hougaard-Jensen and Runnels earned their second.
Kirstie Hillyer | RS Junior | Middle Blocker | Bayfield, Colorado
Hillyer leads the team and Mountain West in hitting percentage with a .357 mark, which also ranks 57th in the nation. The middle is second on the team in blocks with a 1.21 average and ranks No. 52 in the country. Hillyer earned Mountain West Player of the Week awards three times this season, with them all coming within four weeks of each other. Hillyer led the Rams in hitting percentage 13 times this season and 17 in blocks.
Katie Oleksak | Junior | Setter | Phoenix, Arizona
Oleksak has been the cornerstone of the Rams' offense for the past three seasons, leading them in assists every season, including an 11.58 average in 2018 – first in the Mountain West. She directs the No. 20 team in the country and conference leader in hitting percentage (.264), while also providing 0.78 blocks per set and 1.91 digs on defense. Oleksak led CSU in assists in all 30 matches this season and recorded 17, 40-plus assist matches. She also set a Colorado State record with 61 assists in a four-set match at Boise State and finished the regular season with seven double-doubles.
Paulina Hougaard-Jensen | Junior | Middle Blocker | Copenhagen, Denmark
Hougaard-Jensen earns her second conference award after leading the Rams with 1.3 blocks per set, which is 33rd in the nation. Her .356 hitting percentage is second in the league – behind Hillyer – and is No. 61 in Division I. The middle led the Rams in hitting percentage in 12 matches and 17 in blocks. The junior also holds the top three marks on the season for hitting percentage in a match.
Breana Runnels | RS Sophomore | Outside Hitter | Bakersfield, California
After earning Newcomer of the Year last season, Runnels again was a focal point in the Rams' offense, leading them and the Mountain West with 4.05 kills per set – 44th in the country. The outside led the Rams in 21 matches, including reaching double-figures in all 30 matches except four. In the final match of the regular season, the redshirt sophomore floored a career-high 23 kills and added 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the year.
The Rams will begin postseason play, making their 30th overall appearance – 24th consecutive – in the NCAA Tournament playing Tennessee in the first round in Pullman, Wash., on Friday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. MT.
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