HPU's Kelly Balanay claims final PacWest weekly honor

HPU's Kelly Balanay earns final PacWest Volleyball Player of the Week award for 2008

QUEEN CREEK, AZ - Hawai‘i Pacific sophomore middle hitter Kelly Balanay (San Diego, CA/Valhalla) has been chosen the final Pacific West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for 2008.

The honor was announced by the PacWest Media Office in Queen Creek, AZ, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, for matches contested from Nov. 3-9.

Balanay led the Sea Warriors to a 2-0 week by averaging a league-best 6.36 points per game in seven games. She accumulated 44.5 points on 39 kills, nine block assists and one block solo. She led the league in hitting (.556) and kills per game (5.57), and ranked fourth in blocks per game (1.43).

PacWest Weekly Top 10 Volleyball Honor Roll

Heather Baron - Grand Canyon (Jr., 5-10, OH, Lancaster, CA/Saguaro)...ranked seventh for the week in the PacWest in scoring with a 3.64 points per game average...turned in 38 kills and four block assists...ranked fourth in kill average (3.45)...ranked second in total kills for the week...averaged 3.36 digs per game..ranked eighth for the week.

Tanza Buroker - BYU-Hawaii (So., 5-11, OH/MB, Riverton, UT/Riverton)...ranked third for the week in the PacWest in hitting (.394)...produced 14 kills and just one error in 33 chances.

Shauna Folan - Notre Dame de Namur (Sr., DS/L, 5-7, Pacifica, CA/Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep)...totaled 44 digs for a 6.29 per game average last week...ranked second in the PacWest in digs per game and tied for first in total digs.

Cami Johnson (photo) - Dixie State (Jr., OH, 5-8, Morgan, UT/Morgan)...averaged 3.56 points per game in nine games for Dixie State last week...amassed 32 points on 22 kills, seven aces and six block assists...ranked eighth in points per game for the week in the PacWest.

Kelly Keating - Hawai‘i Pacific (Jr., S, 5-10, Orange, CA/Edison)...topped the league in assists per game with a 12.86 average...produced 90 assists in seven games.

Katie Luna - Dixie State (Jr., OH, 5-9, Mesa, AZ/Westwood)...averaged 3.22 points per game in nine games for Dixie State last week...totaled 29 points on 25 kills, two aces and three blocks...ranked 10th in points per game and eighth in kills per game (2.78) for the week.

Josimara Pinheiro - Hawai‘i Hilo (Jr., OH, 5-10, Jundiai, Brazil)...averaged 5.67 points per game in a 3-0 sweep of PacWest Champion BYU-Hawaii last week...totaled 17 points in the match on 14 kills, two aces and two block assists...ranked second for the week in the PacWest in scoring average, hitting (.417) and kills per game (4.67).

Fabiane Seben - Hawai‘i Hilo (Jr., MH, 6-1, Caxias do Sul, Brazil)...ranked fourth in the PacWest for the week in scoring average (4.33)...posted eight kills, one ace, one block solo and six block assists in win over BYU-Hawaii...led league in blocks per game (2.33)...hit .312 for the week.

Christina Villamayor (photo) - Notre Dame de Namur (Fr., OH, 6-1, Poway, CA/Poway)...ranked third for the week in the PacWest in points per game (4.57)...totaled 32 points on 28 kills, two aces and three blocks...ranked third in kills per game (4.00) and third in total kills.

Tricia Yoshimura - Hawai‘i Pacific (So., DS, 5-2, Honolulu, HI/Hawaii Baptist)...led the PacWest in total digs with 57 for the week...ranked first in digs per game (8.14).