The Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU.com) is pleased to announce its selection of Washington's Courtney Thompson as the 2006 CVU.com National Setter of the Year.
A senior from Kent, Wash., Thompson again finished as the top setter in the country, averaging 14.5 assists per game and earning CVU Setter of the Year honors for the second straight season.
Although her average was down slightly from the past two season, Thompson had her best year in terms of total assists with 1, 711. She finishes her career with 6,552 assists, good for fourth all-time on the NCAA career charts. Even bigger, though, Thompson wraps up her career with a 14.56 assists per game career average, putting her atop the NCAA charts in that category.
Under Thompson's on-court direction this season, Washington finished eighth in the nation in team hitting percentage (.281) and 10th in total kills per game (16.92).
Across other statistical categories, Thompson averaged 2.51 digs per game, as well as chipping in 29 kills, 29 service aces and 53 blocks on the season.
Thompson helped lead Washington to the national semi-finals, where the Huskies fell to conference rival Stanford.
Also included among CVU's top setters for 2006 is one other repeat in Ohio's Savanah Parra, as well as two more from the Pac-10 —Nellie Spicer of UCLA and Bryn Kehoe of Stanford — and a newcomer, Nebraska freshman Rachel Holloway.
Back in the Top Five for the second-straight year (and marking the third year an Ohio setter has made the list), Savanah Parra led the Bobcats through another successful MAC season. Averaging 13.47 assists per game, the senior guided Ohio to a No. 2 ranking in kills per game (17.29) and No. 6 ranking in team hitting percentage (0.287). She also tacked on her fair share of stats, averaging 0.72 kills per game on a solid 0.320 hitting, picking up 0.31 aces per game, 2.33 digs and 0.34 blocks.
Nellie Spicer got her teammates involved, averaging 13.66 assists per game, but she took advantage of opportunities on her own, averaging 1.13 kills per game — the highest average among setters ranked in the Top 10 in assists. The UCLA sophomore hit .284 on the season and added some solid defense, scooping 2.52 digs per game and adding 0.74 blocks. She guided the Bruins to a No. 7 team ranking in kills per game and No. 13 finish in team hitting percentage.
It was a big year for setters on the West Coast, as the Pac-10 produced three of the Top Five, with all three playing in the national semifinals. The third is Bryn Kehoe of Stanford, who helped put the Cardinal near the top of the statistical rankings. Stanford finished fifth in team hitting percentage and was ranked No. 6 in kills per game. Kehoe, meanwhile, dished out 13.39 assists per game while tallying 0.95 kills on 0.366 hitting. She also averaged 2.87 digs and 0.78 blocks per game.
In her freshman campaign, Nebraska's Rachel Holloway quickly established herself as one of the nation's top setters. Turning in a solid 13.42 assists per game, Holloway guided the Huskers to the No. 1 ranking in kills per game (17.4) and a No. 2 ranking in team hitting percentage (0.296). In addition to dishing out the helpers, though, the freshman was an offensive threat, averaging 1.11 kills per game on 0.277 hitting. She also averaged 0.2 aces per game, 2.49 digs and 0.56 blocks.
Setter of the Year
Courtney Thompson, Washington
Honorable Mentions
- Savanah Parra, Ohio
- Nellie Spicer, UCLA
- Rachel Holloway, Nebraska
- Bryn Kehoe, Stanford
The Honorable Mentions are not listed in a specific order and should be referred to as an "Honorable Mention" or one of the "Top Five."
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