
Micaya White of Texas was named the Preseason Player of the Year, while fellow Longhorn Skylar Fields and TCU Horned Frog Audrey Nalls were both named Preseason Freshman of the Year. Eight of the 14 volleyball student-athletes on the 2019 Preseason Volleyball All-Big 12 Team were selected unanimously. The preseason team and awards are determined by league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players.
Eight honorees on the preseason list, including six unanimous selections, were also tabbed 2018 All-Big 12 First Team members. Yossiana Pressley and Shelly Stafford of Baylor, TCU’s élan McCall and Texas’ trio of Brionne Butler, Logan Eggleston and White were the six, while Oklahoma’s Keyton Kinley and Kylee McLaughlin rounded out the eight honored on both lists.
For the second consecutive year, the Frisco, Texas, native was named the Preseason Player of the Year. White helped lead Texas to a 15-1 record in Conference play and its 15th straight NCAA Championship appearance. During her junior campaign, the Longhorns outside hitter recorded a team-leading number of kills (326), kills per set average (3.84) and registered a hitting clip above .300 (.305). To cap off the 2018 season, White was named the Big 12 Player of the Year.
Fields earned a spot on the 2018 Junior National Team, leading Team USA to the JNT U20-NORCECA Continental Championship. She was named a USA Today All-American, a PrepVolleyball All-American and was No. 17 on USA Today’s Super 19. Fields holds the school record of 25 kills in a match at her alma mater, Ridge Point High School.
Nalls, a four-year letter winner at Waxahachie High School, garnered 2018 Under Armour Girls High School All-America Second Team honors after her senior season. She finished her high school career with 2,044 kills, 4.61 kills per set, 139 service aces, 392 total blocks and 927 digs.
The 2019 Big 12 Preseason Poll will be announced on Thursday, June 27. The season is slated to begin on Friday, August 30, with the first conference match scheduled for Wednesday, September 25.
2019 BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Player of the Year | Micaya White, Texas^ | OH | Jr. | Frisco, Texas |
Preseason Freshman of the Year | Audrey Nalls, TCU | OH | Waxahachie, Texas | |
Skylar Fields, Texas | OPP | Missouri City, Texas |
2019 All-BIG 12 VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON TEAM
Name, School | Pos. | Ht. | Cl. | Hometown |
Yossiana Pressley, Baylor^* | OH | 6-0 | Jr. | Cypress, Texas |
Shelly Stafford (Fanning), Baylor^* | MB | 6-2 | Sr. | Cypress, Texas |
Eleanor Holthaus, Iowa State | RS | 6-1 | So. | Richmond, Minn. |
Zoe Hill, Kansas | MB | 5-11 | Sr. | Houston, Texas |
Rachel Langs, Kansas& | MB | 6-3 | So. | Fairview, Texas |
Gloria Mutiri, K-State^~& | OPP | 6-2 | So. | Sand Springs, Okla. |
Keyton Kinley, Oklahoma* | DS/L | 5-5 | Jr. | Lexington, Ky. |
Kylee McLaughlin, Oklahoma* | S | 5-10 | Jr. | Carrollton, Texas |
élan McCall, TCU^*& | OH | 6-0 | So. | Leander, Texas |
Brionne Butler, Texas^*& | MB | 6-4 | So. | Kendleton, Texas |
Logan Eggleston, Texas^*& | OH | 6-2 | So. | Brentwood, Texas |
Micaya White, Texas^* | OH | 6-1 | Sr. | Frisco, Texas |
Emily Hill, Texas Tech~ | OH | 6-1 | Sr. | Denton, Texas |
Brooke Kanas, Texas Tech^~& | OH/RS | 6-2 | So. | New Braunfels, Texas |
^ – Unanimous Selection
* – 2018 All-Big 12 First Team honoree
~ – 2018 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree
& – 2018 All-Big 12 Rookie Team honoree