SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State sophomore outside hitter Janelle Currey (second team), junior outside hitter Eryn Kirby (honorable mention) and junior libero Breanne Menees (honorable mention) were each named to the Big Sky’s all-conference team, it was announced today by the league office.
Each player started all 32 matches this season, and helped the team to a 15-17 overall record and an 8-8 mark in the conference. The Hornets made a bid for one of the league’s four postseason berths until falling to Eastern Washington on the final day of the regular season. Additionally, all three are receiving all-conference accolades for the first times in their career.
Currey, who has been a mainstay in the Hornets’ starting lineup each of her first two years with the program, averaged 3.24 kills, 3.47 digs and 0.43 blocks per set. The Rocklin, Calif., native had 36 aces and led the Big Sky with 20 double-doubles (kills and digs). In fact, she had three more double-doubles than any other player in the conference, and among conference leaders, ranked fifth in kills, seventh in points (3.76 per set) and 10th in digs. She tallied double figures in kills in 22 of 32 matches, and double figures in digs on 25 occasions.
After playing at rightside hitter last season, Kirby made the switch to one of the Hornets’ two primary outside hitters this season. She finished with averages of 3.18 kills, 2.21 digs and 0.38 blocks per set, and her nine double-doubles were the ninth best mark in the conference. The Yuba City, Calif., native, who was named the Big Sky’s Player of the Week on Nov. 15, posted double figures in kills in 13 of the team’s final 15 matches of the season and 23 times overall. She also tallied double digits in digs on 10 occasions.
Menees established herself as one of the Big Sky’s top liberos after leading the conference with an average of 5.20 digs per set. That mark also ranks her 27th in the nation as the Bakersfield, Calif., native posted at least 12 digs in all but one match. That includes 18 matches with at least 20 digs, and two matches with 30-plus digs. Not only was Menees strong defensively, her average of 0.33 aces per set are currently the fourth best mark in the conference and her overall mark of 41 aces leads the league.
Sacramento State, which was playing without projected starters at setter and middle hitter all season, will return every player in 2011. In fact, this year’s Hornet roster averaged just 19 years of age and the team routinely started at least four underclassmen.
