WSU’s Jen Greeny named Pac-12 volleyball coach of year

SAN FRANCISCO – Washington State volleyball coach Jen Greeny was named the Pac-12 Conference volleyball coach of the year on Monday.

Washington junior outside hitter Courtney Schwan is the Pac-12 player of the year.

Greeny has the Cougars in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 and the 11th time overall. The Cougars have already recorded one of the best seasons in the program’s history with 21 wins, the first 20-win campaign since 2002. The team’s 11 conference wins are also the most in 15 years and the best finish for the team since 2003.

WSU ranks third in the nation in blocks per set (3.30) and 22nd in opponent hitting percentage (0.163). Washington State was ranked as high as No. 10 in the AVCA poll, the highest rating since 2002. The Cougars opened conference play at 4-0, the team’s best start since Greeny was a player in 1997. WSU has also posted five wins over ranked opponents, including victories over Washington, Stanford and UCLA.

For the second consecutive year, WSU’s Kyra Holt was selected to the All-Pac-12 first team while Taylor Mims and Casey Schoenlein were selected for the honorable mention team.

Holt, a 6-1 senior outside hitter from Hercules, Calif., became the fifth Cougar in school history to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. In career numbers she holds school records in points with 2,013.0, attack attempts with 4,992, is second in kills with 1,743, sixth in aces with 120, and seventh in digs with 1,158. Her 30 block solos, 240 block assists and 270 total blocks are all in the top 20 for WSU all-time.

Mims, a 6-3 middle blocker from Billings, Mont., leads the Pac-12 and is seventh-best in the nation in blocks with an average of 1.52 blocks per set. Her 184 total blocks this season is third-best in the nation and fourth-best in WSU’s single season records. Mims’ 2016 155 block assists is third-best in WSU single season stats.

Schoenlein, a 6-5 outside hitter from Bellevue, is a team tri-captain and her 1.78 kills per set and 2.31 points per set are both fourth-best on team, while her 0.94 blocks per set is third-best on the squad.

Schwan is the second Husky to win the Pac-12 player of the year honor in the last four years. Krista Vansant was selected in

2013 and 2014. Leading Washington to a second-straight Pac-12 crown, Schwan ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in kills (3.76) and seventh in points per set (4.13). She has helped Washington average 14.27 kills per set, which ranks 19th in the country. Her 27 kills in the win over UCLA on Nov. 23 was a Pac-12 high for four sets.

Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer was selected as freshman of the year, Penina Snuka of Arizona is the top setter, and Taylor Formico of UCLA is the liber of of the year.