The Utah volleyball team isn’t done garnering impressive accolades.
After winning the Mountain West Conference championship with a 14-2 conference record, the Utes had four team members selected to the all-MWC team, while head coach Beth Launiere was named MWC Coach of the Year.
Senior middle-blocker Lori Baird was named as Co-Player of the Year, and was joined by teammates Emillie Toone, Kathryn Haynie and Karolina Bartkowiak on the all-conference team.
“It is really a big honor for all of us,” Haynie said. “You don’t get there without a great team though. It’s really a tribute to our whole team.”
Baird led the Utes all season in blocks and kills per set as she averaged 3.1 kills and 1.41 blocks. She slammed down a team-high 322 kills to earn a .299 hitting percentage on the season and blocked a total of 147 balls.
Baird earned five MWC Player of the Week awards this season and is sharing the Player of the Year award with New Mexico’s Jeanne Fairchild. This is the third time Baird has been selected as part of the all-conference team.
“I was shocked when I found out,” Baird said. “There are so many good players and it’s just such an honor.”
Also a repeat member of the MWC team is Toone. The 6-foot-7-inch senior middle force was selected as part of the team in 2006, before redshirting the 2007 season with a knee injury.
Toone led the conference and the Utes with a .391 hitting percentage as she earned 230 kills for an average of 2.23 kills per set.
Toone was also huge for the Utah block with 1.31 per set and 141 blocks on the season.
“It is awesome but we’ve all been talking about how we would be nothing without the whole team,” Toone said. “I couldn’t have got kills without the setters or blocks without my teammates setting up the block. It’s all about the team.”
Utah’s other senior outside hitter, Haynie, was also chosen as an all-MWC player. This is her first time being selected.
Haynie has been a force for the Utes on the outside, averaging 2.75 kills per game to earn 286 kills throughout the season. Haynie led the Utes with 33 service aces and was also big on the back row, digging up 235 balls for an average of 2.33 per set.
Also a first-time selection to the team is sophomore Bartkowiak. She was second on the team with a .357 hitting percentage as she pounded 192 kills and contributed to the block with 73 on the season.
“It was expected the seniors would get it, but I was never expecting it8212;it was a nice surprise,” Bartkowiak said. “It feels good. You always work hard, but never expect an honor like this.”
Launiere was named coach of the year for the third time in her illustrious 19-season career at Utah after her team earned its third regular season MWC title.
Launiere earned her 13th 20-win season as she steered the Utes to a 24-5 regular season finish.
“It is always nice to be recognized by your peers,” Launiere said. “It’s really about the season we had. It’s great for the staff to be recognized.”
Lucas IsleyHead Coach Beth Launiere was selected as this seasons MWC coach of the year. Coach Launiere said she worked hard this season and never expected to receive such great recognition from her piers.