Dec. 12, 2007

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State volleyball player Amanda Nielson received honorable mention All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) it was announced on Wednesday. This is the 27th annual All-America team and the fifth year the AVCA has had an honorable mention category.

Nielson, who earned first-team AVCA all-region honors last week, joins former Aggie greats Zuzana Cernianska (2002-05) and Erin Cartwright-Davis (2001-03) as the only AVCA All-American's in Utah State history as all three players earned honorable mention honors.

Overall, Nielson becomes the 10th player in Utah State history to earn All-America honors along with Annette Cottle (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979), Lucia Chudy (1978, 1979), Sandy Lynn (1978), Elaine Roque (1979), Jo Ellen Vrazel (1980), Lauren Goebel (1980, 1981), Karolyn Kirby (1980, 1981), Cartwright-Davis (2003) and Cernianska (2005).

"Amanda has been a vital part of our program and to have her efforts rewarded in this way is a great tribute to her and her teammates," said USU head coach Grayson DuBose. "It is a nice way to top off her senior year."

Nielson, a senior opposite side hitter from West Valley City, Utah (Granger HS), earned first-team all-WAC honors this year as she finished the season third in the league and 11th in the nation with 5.17 kills per game. She was also second in the conference in both points (6.03) and service aces (0.37) per game.

Nielson, who earned second-team all-WAC honors as a junior and all-freshman team honors from the Big West Conference in 2004, finished her Utah State career ranking second in total attempts (3,991), third in kills (1,369), third in service aces (116), third in block assists (337), and third in total blocks (359), tied for fourth in matches played (121), and 10th in games played (411).

Nielson joins three other WAC players who received All-American honors from the AVCA in Hawaii's Jamie Houston (honorable mention) and New Mexico State's Kim Oguh (honorable mention).