Nov. 25, 2008

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis senior Renee Ibekwe earned a first-team nod on the All-Big West Conference women's volleyball squad, it was announced by conference associate sports information director Julie St. Cyr Tuesday. Furthermore, freshman Keala Peterson was selected to the All-Freshman Team.

Both student-athletes are the first in Aggie volleyball history to win those respective awards in the Big West Conference. Libero Avreeta Singh captured All-Big West honorable mention in 2007, the school's first year as an official member.

Ibekwe, an outside hitter from Carson, Calif., led UC Davis in kills (380) and total attempts (1,162) while adding 15 aces, 326 digs and 31 total blocks. She ranked fifth in the conference at 3.58 kills per set, having sat atop the leaderboard for most of the year.

Freshman Keala Peterson earned a spot on the Big West All-Freshman Team. (Wayne Tilcock, Davis Enterprise)

In early September, Ibekwe became the first Aggie volleyball player to earn Big West Conference Player of the Week, then followed that by earning tournament MVP honors at the Air Force Invitational. She earned all-tournament honors a maximum four times in 2008.

Peterson, an outside hitter from Sebastopol, Calif., started eight of her 22 total matches in 2008, delivering 241 kills, 48 digs and 25 blocks. She posted eight matches with double-figured kills, including a season-best 15 on three occasions.

Cal State Fullerton's Brittany Moore captured Player of the Year recognition, while Caitlin Ledoux of Big West-champion Long Beach State was named Freshman of the Year. UC Irvine's Charlie Brande earned Coach of the Year accolades.

UC Davis finished 12-17 for the season and placed seventh in the conference with a 4-12 record under first-year head coach Jamie Holmes. The 12 wins represents a three-fold improvement over the previous year, and the highest total since the Aggies began playing Division I opposition.

Official Conference Release in PDF Format