Five Utah State Volleyball Players Earn All-Conference Honors

Utah State University volleyball players Katie Astle, Chelsea Fowles, Emily Kortsen, Christine Morrill and Melissa Osterloh earned all-Western Athletic Conference honors it was announced by the league office on Wednesday [Nov. 19, 2008]. Osterloh was the only USU player named to the first-team, while Astle, Fowles and Morrill each earned second-team all-WAC honors. Kortsen was the fifth Aggie honored as she was named to the league's all-freshman team.

The five student-athletes honored by the WAC are the most for Utah State in its four years in the league and the most since it had five players earn all-Big West Conference honors following the 2001 season. In four years in the WAC, Utah State has now had 14 players earn various all-conference accolades.

 

Osterloh, a senior outside hitter from Sandy, Utah (Skyline HS), was named first-team all-WAC after ranking third in the league in service aces (0.33), and fourth in both points (4.18) and kills per set (3.57). As a senior, she leads the team in kills (368) and service aces (34), and is second in digs (203). Osterloh earned second-team all-WAC honors in 2007 in her first season at USU.

 

Since joining the WAC prior to the 2005 season, Utah State has now had four players earn first-team all-conference honors as Zuzana Cernianska and Ingrid Roth received the honor in 2005, along with Amanda Nielson in 2007.

 

Astle, a sophomore middle blocker from Sandy, Utah (Skyline HS), was named second-team all-WAC in her first year as a starter after averaging 1.49 kills and 0.83 blocks per set, while hitting .277 overall which ranked 10th in the conference. She currently ranks second on the team in both hitting and total blocks (86).

 

Fowles, a sophomore setter from Hollister, Calif. (San Benito HS), also earned second-team all-WAC honors after ranking third in the league with 9.60 assists per set. She also leads the team with a .329 hitting percentage. Fowles was named a preseason all-WAC selection this fall, and was the WAC's Freshman of the Year in 2007.

 

Morrill, a sophomore libero from Neola, Utah (Union HS), was also named to the WAC's second-team as she averaged 3.88 digs per set to rank fourth in the conference. Morrill has posted 400 digs thus far this year which ranks fourth all-time at USU for a single-season.

 

Kortsen, a freshman opposite side hitter from Hollister, Calif. (San Benito HS), becomes the third Aggie in as many years to be named to the WAC's all-freshman team along with Melissa Larson in 2006 and Fowles in 2007. Kortsen is hitting .240 this season, which ranks third on the team, and is averaging 1.77 kills, 0.48 blocks and 0.23 digs per set.

 

Utah State (11-16, 9-7) returns to action on Thursday, Nov. 20, when it faces San Jose State (12-16, 7-9) in the first round of the WAC Tournament at 5:30 p.m. (MT) in the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. USU is the fourth-seed in the tournament, while SJSU is the fifth-seed. The Aggies were picked to finish in fifth-place according to the league's coaches in the WAC's preseason poll, while the Spartans were picked tied for third with Idaho.