MINNEAPOLIS — It's tough to reflect on the season that was for the BYU women's volleyball team after taking a straight-set loss to Stanford in the NCAA semifinal round, although Cougar coach Heather Olmstead did as much after. Perhaps highlighting the otherwise remarkable season for the Cougars was Olmstead being named as the AVCA coach of the year earlier on Thursday.
"It's an honor to be named Coach of the Year because the coaches voted on it, colleagues and friends. So it means a lot," Olmstead said of the honor. "It means that our kids played really well, well enough for us to get recognized as a staff. It's always a staff award when someone gets Coach of the Year. It doesn't happen on your own."
Key to the run was Cougar assistant coaches David Hyte, Jonny Neeley and Chelsea Nitta Loyborg, among others. The key for any coaching success was quickly thrown back to the players, however.
"We have great players that were able to work hard, get better all year long, execute the game plan," Olmstead said. "It's an honor. Again, so proud of the season as a whole. Could not be more proud of this group, what they accomplished. Looking forward, I think the future is bright."
OTHER HONORS: Olmstead wasn't alone in garnering national recognition, with BYU having six players given All-American honors.
Leading the way were seniors Roni Jones-Perry and Lyndie Haddock-Eppich both receiving first-team offers with junior Mary Lake named to the second-team. Juniors Kennedy Eschenberg and McKenna Miller were given honorable mentions.
Jones-Perry, the Pacific South Region and West Coast Conference Player of the Year, collected the second AVCA All-America honor of her career after taking third-team recognition last season. The senior outside hitter is No. 4 in the nation in both kills and points per set and No. 10 on BYU’s career kills list at 1,465.
Haddock-Eppich’s first-team selection is the first All-America honor of her career. The senior is the only setter in the country to average at least .80 kills per set, 11.00 assists per set, 2.5 digs per set and .90 blocks per set this season. Haddock-Eppich helped BYU rank No. 1 in the nation in hitting percentage this season.
The other All-American honor went to freshman Heather Gneiting, who was named National Freshman of the Year, the first BYU player ever to receive the honor. Gneiting was also named as a third-team All-American.
Gneiting was among the nation’s best in hitting percentage (.393) and blocks per set (1.53). Gneiting has 219 kills, 158 blocks and 18 aces this season.