Horizon League Announces Preseason Volleyball Awards

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cleveland State senior Kara Koch has been named the Horizon League’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Valparaiso senior Taylor Root has been named the conference’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year after voting of the league’s eight head coaches. The coaches were not allowed to vote for players on their own team.

Koch helped the Vikings to a 13-3 league mark last season on their way to an appearance in the Horizon League Volleyball Championship match. She was a member of the All-League team last season after ranking second in the conference with 428 kills. Koch set a HL Tournament record when she recorded 34 kills in CSU’s five-set victory over Butler in last year’s semifinal match.

Already a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-League selection, Root has a chance at the end of her senior season to become the first three-time Defensive Player of the Year and first four-time All-League selection in Horizon League history. Root already ranks as the conference’s career digs leader with 2,017 through the first three years of her career. Her 754 digs in 2010 are the most in a single season in HL history.

Koch and Root are joined on the preseason All-League team by Milwaukee senior Elizabeth Egerer, Green Bay senior Brittany Groth, Milwaukee junior Rachel Neuberger, Milwaukee sophomore Kayla Price and UIC senior Kelsey Safranek.

The trio of Panthers on the seven-member preseason All-League team is part of why UWM was the coaches’ preseason selection as the team to beat in 2012 in the Horizon League. Neuberger, the HL’s 2010 Newcomer of the Year and an honorable mention All-American in 2011, led the league in hitting percentage (.327) and blocks (124) last season. Egerer had double-digit kills in 19 contests last season as she finished the season ranked fourth in the conference in kills. She was named the HL Tournament MVP after recording 27 kills in UWM’s two matches. Price was the HL’s 2011 Newcomer of the Year and leading the conference in assists per set (10.93) in her rookie campaign.

Groth led the league, and set a school-record, last season, averaging 5.78 digs per set for the Phoenix. She ranked ninth in the NCAA in digs per set as a junior.

Safranek, a two-time All-League selection, led the conference in kills last season with 466.

Leading the way for the Flames is senior Kelsey Safranek. The two-time All-League selection led the HL in kills last season with 466. She enters her senior season with 1,158 kills for her career.

The volleyball season begins Friday, Aug. 24. The Horizon League Tournament will feature the top six teams in the league and will run from Nov. 16-18, with all matches played at the venue of the No. 1 seed.

Preseason All-Horizon League Team:
Elizabeth Egerer, Milwaukee
Brittany Groth, Green Bay
Kara Koch, Cleveland State
Rachel Neuberger, Milwaukee
Kayla Price, Milwaukee
Taylor Root, Valparaiso
Kelsey Safranek, UIC

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Kara Koch, Cleveland State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Taylor Root, Valparaiso