Lake Tapps resident named to second team All-Big Sky Conference team

Published 11:29 am Friday, November 23, 2012

University of Montana junior Brooke Bray concluded one of the better seasons for a Griz middle blocker in program history Monday night. Three nights later, on the eve of the league tournament, Bray’s season resulted in second-team All-Big Sky Conference honors.

The Big Sky announced its all-conference teams Thursday night, and Bray, of Lake Tapps, was the only Grizzly among the 24 league players voted first or second team or honorable mention.

Bray was the only player to earn first- or second-team honors who is not on one of the six teams playing in the Big Sky Conference tournament, which opens Friday morning at Greeley, Colo. Montana finished its season with a 6-23 overall record and tied for 10th in the league standings at 4-16.

The top four teams in the final regular-season standings, all with current RPIs in the top 96 in the nation, made up a bulk of the first and second teams.

Between first- and second-team and honorable-mention selections, regular-season champion Portland State had four players recognized, as did second-place Idaho State and third-place Northern Arizona. Fourth-place Northern Colorado had three.

“The coaches around the league had a tough time trying to choose players this year because every team in this conference has worthy players,” UM coach Jerry Wagner said. “The quality and depth of each position in this conference is incredible.

“Eventually it comes down to the placement of your team, so for Brooke to get recognized by the other coaches truly shows what an outstanding season she had.”

Bray hit .338 this fall while playing in all 115 of the team’s sets. It was the second-highest single-season hitting percentage in UM history behind Jaimie Thibeault’s .353 in 2009. Bray tied for second in the Big Sky in blocks (1.26/s) and finished third in hitting.

Bray’s hitting percentage was nearly twice as high as the team’s average of .176, and she had 51 more blocks than any other Grizzly. She finished second on the team in kills (2.42/s) to junior outside hitter Kayla Reno (2.92/s) and was third in service aces (13).

Bray’s 12 blocks in Montana’s 3-0 win over Sacred Heart were the second most by a player in the Big Sky during the regular season, and she had two of the league’s top eight hitting efforts during Big Sky play.

She hit .565 (14/1/23) in Montana’s 3-1 home victory over Sacramento State and .556 (17/2/27) in the Grizzlies’ 3-2 comeback win at Montana State.

“Brooke was our team captain and played at a consistently high level all season,” Wagner said. “I really marvel at how consistent she was for us, and I think that’s what the other coaches in the league saw as well.”

Junior setter Lori Mendenhall was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player after leading an Idaho State team that was picked seventh in the preseason coaches’ poll to a second-place finish and 22 regular-season wins.

Mendenhall was joined on the first team by a pair of juniors from regular-season champion Portland State, setter Garyn Schlatter, first team for the third time, and outside hitter Jaklyn Wheeler, a transfer from Oregon who was voted Top Newcomer.

Northern Colorado’s Kelley Arnold, the only senior on the top team, made first team for the third time.

Montana State junior outside hitter Sarah Horton, who led the league in kills, was voted first team, as was Northern Arizona freshman middle blocker Payton Bock, who was named Outstanding Freshman.

Idaho State seniors Jaclyn Hone-Hawkins and Breanne Van Every joined Bray on the five-player second team. Rounding out the second team were Northern Colorado sophomore middle blocker Andrea Spaustat and North Dakota junior middle blocker Ronni Munkeby.

Eight of the 11 players on the first and second teams will be back next fall.

Portland State sophomore Kasimira Clark was named Libero of the Year and was one of 13 players who earned honorable-mention honors.

Sacramento State and Southern Utah, which did not have a first- or second-team selection, both had two honorable-mention picks. Ninth-place Eastern Washington and Weber State, which tied Montana for last place, did not have any players among the 24 athletes who received votes.