WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- One first-year player and two seniors have received All-Northwest Conference volleyball honors for Whitman College.
Jill Huber, a 5-foot-11 middle blocker, capped her freshman season by earning second-team honors. Huber finished among the Northwest Conference leaders in a number of categories, finishing fifth in both hitting percentage (.236) and blocks (.97 per game).
Kelly Williams and Valarie Hamm, two Missionary seniors, earned honorable mention recognition for the second consecutive season. Williams, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, averaged 3.52 kills per game, the fifth-best mark in the conference, while Hamm was No. 9 in the NWC in both digs (3.47) and kills (2.87) per game.
Huber (Enumclaw WA, Enumclaw HS) has been a "great addition to our volleyball program," Whitman coach Dean Snider said. "She did a super job of filling the hole left by Barby Ream, our All-West Region player last season. Jill was an effective attacker and a solid blocker, and she played a significant role in the back row as a primary passer."
Huber also averaged .42 service aces per game, the third-best percentage in the conference, and she was No. 11 in kills with 2.78 per game. "As Jill refines her game she will become one of the absolute best players in the conference," Snider said. "She's also a joy to coach and a terrific young lady."
Williams (Auburn WA, Auburn Riverside HS), a 5-foot-11 outside hitter and four-year starter, finished her Whitman career with almost 839 kills and nearly 684 digs. "Although Kelly played middle and right side in her first two years, she came into her own as an outside hitter in her last two seasons," Snider said. "She led us in kills in each of her last two season, she became one of our primary passers. She's been a hard worker and strong leader. I thoroughly enjoyed coaching her in each of her four seasons."
Hamm (Port Townsend WA, Port Townsend HS), a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, who did not play volleyball as a freshman, finished her Missionary career with 723 digs and 691 kills. "Val has been a super all-court player for us," Snider said. "She is amoung our team leaders in kills and digs, and she also developed into one of our primary passers. She was a hard- hitting player who gave great effort on the court."
Hamm, along with Huber, were among the four Missionaries who finished in the top seven in the conference in service aces per game. Hamm averaged .37 aces per game to finish at No. 7. Senior Jeni Brown and junior Claire Novotny were No. 1 and No. 6, respectively.