O’Connor named to All-America Team

She was the Most Valuable Player in the Iowa Conference and named first team all-region. She was the leader on a record-setting squad that claimed the IIAC Tournament crown and earned the program's first trip to the NCAA Division III Championships.

On Tuesday, Kathleen O'Connor capped it all as the first volleyball all-American in school history. The 6-foot outside hitter was selected to the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American Team. O'Connor was the only all-America honoree from the IIAC.

"Katie's honor is an indication of where we are headed as a volleyball program and a recognition of her tremendous skills," Cornell head coach Jeff Meeker said. "It is a great honor for her and a great honor for our team."

O'Connor put up one of the best statistical seasons in program history. She ranked second on the school's single-season list with 452 kills and fourth with 3.67 kills per set. O'Connor also cracked the top five with 1,218 attack attempts and 54 service aces.

O'Connor posted a .230 attack percentage, reaching double-figure kill totals in 24 of 34 matches. Her top two kill performances of the season came a couple days apart against IIAC foes Simpson (career-high 24 kills on Oct. 5) and Wartburg (23 on Oct. 7).

O'Connor led the conference with 0.44 aces per set, twice serving five in a match. She was among the team leaders with 339 digs (2.76 dps) and 58 blocks (0.47 bps). O'Connor recorded 15 double-doubles (kills-digs), raising her two-year total to 33. She notched a career-high 20 digs against Elmhurst Nov. 11 in the first round of the national tournament.

O'Connor already ranks among the school's top-10 career leaders in six statistical categories. She stands second in kills per set (3.60), fourth in kills (885), fourth in aces per set (0.39), fifth in attack attempts (2,434), seventh in aces (96) and eighth in serve attempts (748).

"What is most exciting about Katie is that she has tremendous room for growth," Meeker said. "She made great strides throughout our season and we expect her to continue to progress as a player and a leader."

O'Connor was a two-time IIAC Volleyball Hitter of the Week, and named the league's Female Athlete of the Week on Nov. 7. She was selected to all-tournament teams at Augustana and Grinnell.

O'Connor led the Rams to a 28-6 overall mark, the second-most wins in school history. Cornell earned the No. 3 seed in the IIAC Tournament after going 5-3 in league play. The Rams, who appeared in the regional rankings for the first time in school history, fashioned a 14-match winning streak that ended in a five-set battle with 16th-ranked Elmhurst at nationals.