IRVING, Texas — Four BYU women's volleyball student-athletes were named to All-Big 12 teams, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Outside hitter Claire Little, a unanimous pick, and middle blocker Brielle Kemavor both earned All-Big 12 First Teams honors, while setter Alex Bower and outside hitter Elli Mortensen were named to the Big 12 All-Rookie Team. This is the first postseason conference award for all four Cougars.
A two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, Kemavor led the Big 12 in both total blocks (164) and blocks per set (1.49), statistics she ranks No. 6 and No. 10 nationally in, respectively. With three double-doubles this season, she has tied BYU’s rally scoring era record for most double-doubles by a middle blocker in a single season and career. A Bristow, Virginia native, Kemavor has led the Cougars in blocks in 21 of their 28 matches, and has also posted double-digit kills in eight matches.
BYU’s team leader in kills, Little finished third in the Big 12 in total kills (419), kills per set (3.92) and total points (473.5), and ranks 68th nationally in kills per set. Little was honored as the dōTERRA Classic MVP, named to the BYU Nike Invitational all-tournament team, and has contributed to the Cougars’ .261 season hitting percentage, which ranks 33rd in the country, with 24 double-digit kill efforts. The Winchester, California product has led the team in kills in 21 matches, also posting six double-doubles.
Recording the second-most kills (291) amongst BYU hitters, Mortensen ranked No. 23 in the Big 12 in kills per set (2.72). She is one of six underclassmen in the top 23, and the highest ranked freshman in the category. Mortensen was named to the dōTERRA Classic all-tournament team and has finished in double figures in 18 of the Cougars’ 28 matches, including three spans of four double-digit kill matches in a row. Hailing from Draper, Utah, Mortensen also has the team's fourth-most service aces (23).
Also now a two-time weekly Big 12 awardee, Bower has been named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week twice this season and was named to both the dōTERRA Classic and BYU Nike Invitational all-tournament teams. She has surpassed 1,000 assists in her freshman season, posting 10 double-doubles through 28 games. Out of Nampa, Idaho, Bower set the Cougars' rally-scoring era freshman assist record last week, totaling 1,102 assists and counting as she'd led BYU to the nation’s 31st-best hitting percentage at .261.
BYU, one of six teams in the conference to earn a trip to the postseason, will open NCAA tournament play on Thursday, Dec. 5 against Loyola Chicago at 3:30 p.m. EST. View the Big 12's full postseason award press release at the league website.