Nov. 27, 2000

IRVINE, Calif. - Kara Gormsen of Pacific and Cheryl Weaver of Long Beach State headlined the 2000 Big West Women*s Volleyball All-Conference Team, which was announced today by Commissioner Dennis Farrell. Gormsen and Weaver were named Co-Big West Players of the Year, while Pacific*s Jennifer Joines and John Dunning were recognized as Freshman and Coach of the Year, respectively.

Gormsen, a 5-10 setter, leads the Big West with 14.26 assists per game and ranks 10th in digs with 3.07 per game. Under her leadership, the Tigers are hitting .273 as a team, which ranks second in the conference. Gormsen also is averaging 0.70 blocks and 1.27 kills per game while hitting .357 (114-23-255). Her 1,283 assists places her 10th on the Pacific single-season list.

Weaver, a 6-2 middle blocker, is the Big West leader in kills per game (4.56) and ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.332) and blocks per game (1.57). She has recorded double figure kills in 25 of Long Beach State*s 29 matches this season, and has tallied 20 or more kills in eight contests. The junior has helped lead a 49er offensive attack which ranks first in the Big West with a .282 hitting percentage.

Joines is the third player in Pacific history, and the first since 1994 to earn Big West Freshman of the Year accolades. The 6-3 middle blocker leads the conference with a .405 hitting percentage and ranks second in blocks per game (1.59) and seventh in kills per game (4.03). Joines also is the first freshman in Tiger history to also be selected to the All-Big West First Team.

Dunning, in his 16th year as head coach at Pacific, was named Coach of the Year for the second straight year and the third time in the last five seasons. He is a four-time honoree of the Big West*s highest coaching honor (1986, 1996, 1999, 2000). Dunning led Pacific to its second straight Big West championship and a 26-3 overall record heading into postseason play. The Tigers have won 18 straight matches under Dunning*s tutelage, and are currently ranked second in the nation by Volleyball Magazine and seventh in the USA Today/AVCA poll.

Utah State*s Denae Mohlman and UC Santa Barbara*s Brooke Rundle became the 14th and 15th players in Big West history to earn a spot on the all-conference first team three times.

The complete 2000 Big West All-Conference Team is on the following page.

2000 BIG WEST WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

FIRST TEAM
Player            School            Ht.   Yr.  Pos.  Hometown
Danielle Bauer    UC Santa Barbara  5-11  So.  MB    Santa Ana, CA
Amy Crosbie       Utah State        5-11  Sr.  OH    Visalia, CA
Kara Gormsen      Pacific           5-10  Sr.  S     Stockton, CA
Jamie Hamm        Pacific           6-0   Jr.  OH    Bellevue, NE
Tayyiba Haneef    Long Beach State  6-7   Jr.  OH    Laguna Hills, CA
Melanie Hathaway  Cal Poly          5-10  Sr.  OH    Santa Maria, CA
Jennifer Joines   Pacific           6-3   Fr.  MB    Milpitas, CA
Simone Kuhn       UC Santa Barbara  6-2   Fr.  MB    Luzern, Switzerland
Denae Mohlman     Utah State        6-0   Sr.  MB    Shoreline, WA
Brooke Rundle     UC Santa Barbara  5-6   Jr.  S     Westlake Village, CA
Melissa Schoepf   Utah State        5-9   Sr.  OH    Georgetown, CA
Danielle Shinn    Pacific           6-0   Sr.  OH    Arnold, CA
Cheryl Weaver     Long Beach State  6-2   Jr.  MB    Washington, D.C.

SECOND TEAM
Player            School              Ht.   Yr.  Pos.  Hometown
Tara Brinkerhoff  Boise State         5-10  Sr.  OH    Mesa, AZ
Elaine Goeders    Pacific             6-1   So.  MB    Apple Valley, MN
Brittany Hochevar Long Beach State    6-1   So.  S/OH  Fowler, CO
Jenny Kniss       Idaho               6-0   Sr.  OH    Gresham, OR
Worthy Lien       Cal Poly            6-2   So.  MB    La Habra, CA
Chanda McLeod     UC Irvine           5-11  So.  OH    Huntington Beach, CA
Erica Menzel      UC Santa Barbara    5-9   Fr.  OH    Santa Barbara, CA
Courtney Miller   Pacific             6-2   Jr.  OH    Thousand Oaks, CA
Chelsi Neves      Utah State          5-9   Jr.  S     Otto, WY
Carly O*Halloran  Cal Poly            6-0   So.  S     Nipomo, CA
Megan Sabo        Cal State Fullerton 5-10  Jr.  OH    Anaheim, CA
Elisha Thomas     Long Beach State    6-2   So.  MB    Grass Valley, CA

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Player              School               Ht.   Pos.    Hometown
Roxanne Barlow      Cal State Fullerton  5-11  OH      El Cajon, CA
Molly Duncan        Cal Poly             6-0   OH/MB   Carlsbad, CA
Anna-Marie Hammond  Idaho                6-2   MB      Long Beach, CA
Jacqueline Heler    Boise State          6-1   MB      Palo Alto, CA
Jennifer Joines     Pacific              6-3   MB      Milpitas, CA
Simone Kuhn         UC Santa Barbara     6-2   MB      Luzern, Switzerland
Erica Menzel        UC Santa Barbara     5-9   OH      Santa Barbara, CA
Misty Swails        Pacific              5-10  OH/MB   Ripon, CA
Brenda Waterman     UC Irvine            5-7   OH      Newport Beach, CA

2000 BIG WEST CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Kara Gormsen, Pacific
Cheryl Weaver, Long Beach State