Nov. 26, 2012

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SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- BYU and San Diego finished as the 2012 West Coast Conference Co-Champions. After receiving the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with a 26-3 overall record and 13-3 conference record, the Cougars also claimed four postseason awards, as voted on by the WCC head coaches.

Junior opposite Jennifer Hamson earned WCC Player of the Year honors. Alexa Gray was named 2012 WCC Freshman of the Year. The 2012 Defensive Player of the Year award was split three ways in BYU's middle blocker Nicole Warner, Loyola Marymount's defensive specialist Betsi Metter, and San Francisco's outside hitter Rebecca Kopilovitch. BYU also captured the WCC Coach of the Year award as the conference head coaches selected BYU's Shawn Olmstead.

There has been strong volleyball competition within the WCC, and this season proved no different. This year, seven of the nine teams owned top 60 RPIs in the latest NCAA Volleyball RPI report (November 19, 2012), while four were ranked at least once in the AVCA Coaches Poll throughout the season (with two ranked consistently throughout the year in BYU and San Diego).

With the 2012 WCC season officially complete, six WCC schools will represent the WCC in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, as announced Sunday by the NCAA on ESPNU. WCC co-champion BYU, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's, WCC co-champion San Diego, and Santa Clara will represent the league in the field of 64.

2012 West Coast Conference Player of the Year
Jennifer Hamson, BYU, Jr., Opposite

2012 West Coast Conference Defensive Players of the Year
Rebecca Kopilovitch, San Francisco, So., Outside Hitter/Libero
Betsi Metter, Loyola Marymount, Jr., Defensive Specialist
Nicole Warner, BYU, Sr., Middle Blocker

2012 West Coast Conference Freshman Player of the Year
Alexa Gray, BYU, Outside Hitter

2012 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year
Shawn Olmstead, BYU

2012 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

2012 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
Victoria Adelhelm, PEP; Rachel Alvey, USD; Carrie Baird, USD; Alaysia Brown, USD; Lauren Corp, SMC; Kylie Edinger, GON; Ester de Vries, USF; Heather Hannemann, BYU; Litara Keil, LMU; Rebecca Kopilovitch, USF; Jocelyn Levig, USF; Betsi Metter, LMU; Taylor Milton, SCU; Ariel Usher, POR

2012 ALL-WEST COAST CONFERENCE FRESHMAN TEAM