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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - University of Northern Iowa senior setter Bre Payton has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, while Panther head coach Bobbi Petersen also earned MVC Volleyball Coach of the Year honors for the third straight year.
Four Panthers also earned first-team all-MVC honors in helping lead UNI to its third consecutive 18-0 league mark. Junior Amy Braun (Lakeville, Minn./North HS), senior Michelle Burow (Lincoln, Neb./Norris HS), junior Krista DeGeest (Spencer, Iowa/Spencer HS) and Payton were all named to the MVC first team.
For Braun it marks the first time she has earned first-team all-MVC accolades. Braun has played in all 112 sets this season for the Panthers and ranks fourth on the squad with 272 kills. Braun ranks second on the team in digs (407) and assists (84).
Burow earned first-team all-MVC honors for the third straight season (2009, 2010, 2011). Burow led the Panthers with 296 kills heading into the MVC Tournament. Burow ranks second on the team in hitting percentage (.327). Burow is five kills away from reaching the top-10 kills list at UNI.
For the second straight season, DeGeest earned first-team all-MVC honors. DeGeest leads the Panthers with 142 blocks. She ranks third on the team in hitting percentage (.324). DeGeest has posted 283 kills to rank No. 3 on the Panthers.
Payton earned her third straight MVC Player of the Year honors by leading the Panthers in assists with 1,201 (10.72/set). Payton also averaged 1.91 kills per set and rank first on the team in hitting percentage (.351). Payton ranks No. 3 on the Panthers in digs (322).
Petersen guided the Panthers to a 30-1 overall record, their third straight 18-0 MVC season and the 15th MVC regular season title in school history. UNI enters the MVC Tournament riding a 21-match winning streak and ranked No. 12 in the latest MVC poll. UNI won 12 of its 18 MVC matches by 3-0 sweeps.
UNI will play the winner of the Creighton/Illinois State in the MVC semifinals on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the McLeod Center. The 2011 MVC championship is slated for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
| 2011 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE | ||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Hometown (Previous School) |
| ^Emily Adney | Wichita State | Jr. | OH | Golden, Colo. (D'Evelyn) |
| ^Megan Bober | Creighton | Jr. | S | Murdock, Neb. (Murdock-Elmwood) |
| Amy Braun | UNI | Jr. | OH | Lakeville, Minn. (North) |
| ^%Michelle Burow | UNI | Sr. | MB | Lincoln, Neb. (Norris) |
| ^Krista DeGeest | UNI | Jr. | MB | Spencer, Iowa (Spencer) |
| ^%$Mary Elizabeth Hooper | Wichita State | Sr. | S | Plano, Texas (Plano) |
| LeighAnn Hranka | Illinois State | So. | MB | Rockford, Ill. (Rockford Guilford) |
| Julianne Mandolfo | Creighton | So. | L | Omaha, Neb. (Marian) |
| ^%$Calli Norman | Missouri State | Sr. | MB | St. Charles, Mo. (Francis Howell Central) |
| ^%Bre Payton | UNI | Sr. | S | Waterloo, Iowa (Columbus) |
| #Laurel Sanford | Creighton | Sr. | MB | Eagan, Minn. (Eagan) |
| Carly Thomas | Missouri State | So. | S | Swansea, Ill. (Althoff Catholic) |
| #Camri Zwiesler | Wichita State | Sr. | OH | Newton, Kan. (Arizona State/Newton) |
| ^2010 First-team; #2010 Second-team; %2009 First-team; $2008 First-team; &2008 Second-team | ||||
| 2011 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE | ||||
| Name | School | Yr. | Pos. | Hometown (Previous School) |
| Ashley Andrade | Wichita State | So. | MB | Glendale, Ariz. (Northwest Christian) |
| Elizabeth Field | Wichita State | So. | MB | Windsor, Calif. (Santa Rosa) |
| Alysia Mayes | Southern Illinois | Jr. | MB | Ashkum, Ill. (Clifton Central) |
| Shannon McGlaughlin | Illinois State | So. | MB | Morton, Ill. (Morton) |
| #Stacy Qualizza | Indiana State | Sr. | MB | Crown Point, Ind. (Crown Point) |
| Karen Rivatto | Missouri State | Jr. | OH | Porto Alegre, Brazil (Northeastern JC) |
| #2010 Second-team | ||||
| 2011 MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM | |||
| Name | School | Pos. | Hometown (Previous School) |
| Olivia Brand | Missouri State | OH/RS | Springfield, Mo. (Glendale) |
| Kaitlin Jaeger | Missouri State | MB | Webb City, Mo. (Webb City) |
| Leah McNary | Creighton | OH/RS | Tarpon Springs, Fla. (Palm Harbor) |
| Ashley Ring | Evansville | OH | Madison, Wis. (Edgewood) |
| Emily Schneider | Illinois State | MB | Jacksonville, Ill. (Jacksonville) |
| Michelle Sicner | Creighton | S | Omaha, Neb. (Millard North) |
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Bre Payton, UNI
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Camri Zwiesler, Wichita State
LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Julianne Mandolfo, Creighton
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Olivia Brand, Missouri State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bobbi Petersen, UNI
