	Knopf on MWC 10th anniversary team
Six Rams make MWC's 10th anniversary volleyball team BY KELLY LYELL • KellyLyell@coloradoan.com • July 23, 2008 Angela Knopf, CSU's only two-time, first-team All-American, and five other Rams were named today to the Mountain West Conference's 10th anniversary team. Melissa Courtney, the MWC player and setter of the year in 2003 and 2004, was named the designated setter on the 16-player team picked by selected conference officials, member schools, selected media members and online balloting by fans. Also on the team were current CSU middle blocker Mekana Barnes, a third-team All-American last year as a junior, along with ex-Rams Courtney Cox, Tess Rogers and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon. Cox, an outside hitter, was a second-team All-American in 2000 and a two-time all-district and all-conference selection. Rogers, also an outside hitter, was the MWC freshman of the year in 2002 and an all-conference selection the next three seasons. Shirley-Cahoon was a two-time all-district and three-time all-conference pick for the Rams from 2002-04. Colorado State University, winner of six MWC regular-season titles and four conference tournaments in the league's nine completed seasons, led the way with six selections to the team. Brigham Young had four players -- Chelsea Goodman, Lindsy Hartsock, Nina Pukkonen and Lauren Richards-Evans -- selected. Other members of the team were UNLV's Maria Aladjova, Lauren Miramontes and Jada Walker, the designated defensive player/libero; Utah's Shelly Sommerfeldt and Kim Turner and San Diego State's Aspen McPartland. Barnes is only active college player chosen for MWC anniversary team BY KELLY LYELL • KellyLyell@coloradoan.com • July 24, 2008 Mekana Barnes is working volleyball camps and training for the start of her senior year at CSU. No matter how this season goes, the 6-foot-0 middle blocker from Highlands Ranch found herself in an unusually select group Wednesday as one of 16 players - and the only one still playing college volleyball - named to the Mountain West Conference's 10th anniversary team. "It caught me off guard," said Barnes, last year's MWC player of the year and a third-team All-American who learned of her selection from coach Tom Hilbert. "I didn't really know anything about the award. It was pretty cool to receive that." Barnes is one of six CSU players on the team, selected by conference, school and media representatives and online voting by fans. The others are Angela Knopf, CSU's only two-time, first-team All-American; Melissa Courtney, a two-time MWC setter and player of the year; second-team All-American and three-time all-region selection Courtney Cox; three-time all-MWC pick Tess Rogers; and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon, a two-time all-region selection and three-time all-conference honoree. "Melissa Courtney getting setter of the decade was really awesome," CSU coach Tom Hilbert said. "She bumped some good people. Other teams have had good setters, too, so that's really a special honor." The six selections for CSU, winner of six conference regular-season titles and four conference tournaments since the MWC's start in 1999, were the most for any league team. "I'm just glad they honored so many CSU players, because I think a lot of players out there are so talented," said Knopf, the MWC player of the year and a first-team All-American in 2000-01. "That's a huge compliment to Colorado State and the program, and what Tom's done to have that many players represented." Four players from BYU were selected - Chelsea Goodman, Lindsy Hartsock, Nina Pukkonen and Lauren Richards-Evans. UNLV had three on the team - Maria Aladjova, Lauren Miramontes and Jada Walker, the designated defensive player/libero. Other selections were Utah's Shelly Sommerfeldt and Kim Turner and San Diego State's Aspen McPartland. Four conference schools - Air Force, New Mexico, TCU and Wyoming - were not represented on the team. "That's really a great team," Courtney said. "Most of the players I think I either played against or with in my four years at CSU, so that's really a great honor to be named to that team." As well represented as CSU was, Hilbert and Knopf were surprised more former Rams didn't make the cut, particularly Soraya Santos, a second-team All-American in 2001 and all-MWC selection each of her two years at CSU after transferring from a junior college; and Ali Peckham, the MWC setter of the year from 1999-2001. Santos, Hilbert said, "was a very important person in the scope of volleyball in this league." Peckham, Knopf said, was the key to the Rams' 91-12 record from 1999-2001, during which they had two 30-win seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament's regional semifinals three years in a row. "I think Ali was just such an unsung hero," Knopf said. "The reason why we were so successful is because of our setter and our defense."

Knopf on MWC 10th anniversary team

Six Rams make MWC's 10th anniversary volleyball team

BY KELLY LYELL • KellyLyell@coloradoan.com • July 23, 2008

Angela Knopf, CSU's only two-time, first-team All-American, and five other Rams were named today to the Mountain West Conference's 10th anniversary team.

Melissa Courtney, the MWC player and setter of the year in 2003 and 2004, was named the designated setter on the 16-player team picked by selected conference officials, member schools, selected media members and online balloting by fans. Also on the team were current CSU middle blocker Mekana Barnes, a third-team All-American last year as a junior, along with ex-Rams Courtney Cox, Tess Rogers and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon.

Cox, an outside hitter, was a second-team All-American in 2000 and a two-time all-district and all-conference selection. Rogers, also an outside hitter, was the MWC freshman of the year in 2002 and an all-conference selection the next three seasons. Shirley-Cahoon was a two-time all-district and three-time all-conference pick for the Rams from 2002-04.

Colorado State University, winner of six MWC regular-season titles and four conference tournaments in the league's nine completed seasons, led the way with six selections to the team. Brigham Young had four players -- Chelsea Goodman, Lindsy Hartsock, Nina Pukkonen and Lauren Richards-Evans -- selected.

Other members of the team were UNLV's Maria Aladjova, Lauren Miramontes and Jada Walker, the designated defensive player/libero; Utah's Shelly Sommerfeldt and Kim Turner and San Diego State's Aspen McPartland.

Barnes is only active college player chosen for MWC anniversary team

BY KELLY LYELL • KellyLyell@coloradoan.com • July 24, 2008

Mekana Barnes is working volleyball camps and training for the start of her senior year at CSU.

No matter how this season goes, the 6-foot-0 middle blocker from Highlands Ranch found herself in an unusually select group Wednesday as one of 16 players - and the only one still playing college volleyball - named to the Mountain West Conference's 10th anniversary team.

"It caught me off guard," said Barnes, last year's MWC player of the year and a third-team All-American who learned of her selection from coach Tom Hilbert. "I didn't really know anything about the award. It was pretty cool to receive that."

Barnes is one of six CSU players on the team, selected by conference, school and media representatives and online voting by fans. The others are Angela Knopf, CSU's only two-time, first-team All-American; Melissa Courtney, a two-time MWC setter and player of the year; second-team All-American and three-time all-region selection Courtney Cox; three-time all-MWC pick Tess Rogers; and Katie Jo Shirley-Cahoon, a two-time all-region selection and three-time all-conference honoree.

"Melissa Courtney getting setter of the decade was really awesome," CSU coach Tom Hilbert said. "She bumped some good people. Other teams have had good setters, too, so that's really a special honor."

The six selections for CSU, winner of six conference regular-season titles and four conference tournaments since the MWC's start in 1999, were the most for any league team.

"I'm just glad they honored so many CSU players, because I think a lot of players out there are so talented," said Knopf, the MWC player of the year and a first-team All-American in 2000-01. "That's a huge compliment to Colorado State and the program, and what Tom's done to have that many players represented."

Four players from BYU were selected - Chelsea Goodman, Lindsy Hartsock, Nina Pukkonen and Lauren Richards-Evans. UNLV had three on the team - Maria Aladjova, Lauren Miramontes and Jada Walker, the designated defensive player/libero. Other selections were Utah's Shelly Sommerfeldt and Kim Turner and San Diego State's Aspen McPartland. Four conference schools - Air Force, New Mexico, TCU and Wyoming - were not represented on the team.

"That's really a great team," Courtney said. "Most of the players I think I either played against or with in my four years at CSU, so that's really a great honor to be named to that team."

As well represented as CSU was, Hilbert and Knopf were surprised more former Rams didn't make the cut, particularly Soraya Santos, a second-team All-American in 2001 and all-MWC selection each of her two years at CSU after transferring from a junior college; and Ali Peckham, the MWC setter of the year from 1999-2001.

Santos, Hilbert said, "was a very important person in the scope of volleyball in this league."

Peckham, Knopf said, was the key to the Rams' 91-12 record from 1999-2001, during which they had two 30-win seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament's regional semifinals three years in a row.

"I think Ali was just such an unsung hero," Knopf said. "The reason why we were so successful is because of our setter and our defense."