Over the 2023 season, WSU volleyball has made history several times and has certainly been on a high ride in the final season of the Pac-12. The Conference announced Tuesday that the Cougs had five players earn postseason honors.
Two players made the All-Pac-12 First Team and three additional players made the honorable mentions, with the two first team members making their fifth and fourth teams, respectively.
All-Pac-12 First Team
Only a single player in WSU volleyball program history has made the All-Pac-12 First Team five times, that is the greatest in program history, Magda Jehlárová. Since her freshman 2019 season, she has dominated the Pac-12.
This season, she has broken the WSU program history record for career total blocks as well as breaking the NCAA record for the same category. Her 153 total blocks this season bring her career total to 753, but that number will continue to increase with the upcoming NCAA Tournament run for the Cougs.
Her 1.37 blocks per set led the Pac-12 in 2023, also finishing with an efficient hitting percentage of .416% on 265 kills. Statistically speaking, it was one of her greatest seasons and the 24 wins the team has is the most wins she has been a part of during her five seasons on the Palouse.
Making her fifth All-Pac-12 First Team, Jehlárová continues to build upon what has already become the most decorated career in WSU program history.
“I’m just really glad to be putting our program more on the map,” Jehlárová said to Michella Chester.
The 2019 recruiting class had not one, but two program cornerstones come to Pullman, with the other player making her fourth All-Pac-12 First Team in 2023. Pia Timmer, once again, stood out as a dominant offensive force for WSU.
With 387 kills and 3.39 kills per set, she stayed right in line with her career averages while improving her efficiency. She hit a career-best .241%, adding 244 digs on 2.14 digs per set (the second-highest mark of her career) and 46 total blocks.
Recently tallying her 1,000th career dig, she became the first player in program history to reach 1,500 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
All-Pac-12 Honorable Mentions
Three players received honorable mentions in 2023, one more than last season. The improvement of these key contributors has been a major factor in the Cougs No. 10 AVCA ranking and No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
First up, transfer Iman Isanovic. For the second straight season, the top transfer hitter for the Cougs earned an honorable mention in the Pac-12 postseason honors. Following in Laura Jansen’s footsteps, Isnaovic made the honorable mention list for the third time in her career. In total, she has been honored four times, making the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2021.
This season, she had 364 kills on 3.19 kills per set while hitting .249%. Defensively, she finished with 151 digs on 1.32 digs per set and 35 total blocks. Just like how Jansen got seemingly snubbed from the First Team in 2022, Isanovic had a strong case for the honor in 2023.
WSU has had a strong offensive attack from all angles in 2023 and they have been recognized for it. Katy Ryan, the opposite from Rathdrum, Idaho, earned an honorable mention for the second straight season.
In 2022, she had 294 kills on 2.47 kills per set, hitting .274%. She also had 98 blocks on 0.82 blocks per set to add more value to the net. This season, she has had a very similar productional output. In her 114 sets, she has 267 kills on 2.34 kills per set, hitting .285% with 81 blocks on 0.71 blocks per set.
With so many players graduating and moving on from the program, Ryan is the clear favorite to be the focal point of the offense in 2024, a good feeling for WSU volleyball fans.
Finally, Argentina Ung made the honorable mention list, the first time she has been recognized in her career.
The ever-improving setter has been one of the quietly best in the country. She has improved offensively, hitting .406% while averaging 0.95 kills per set, as well as becoming a much more competent blocker at the net, finishing the regular season with 89.
As for her primary role in the offense, she has averaged 10.43 assists per set, the best of her career and the fifth-best in the Pac-12.
All five of the All-Pac-12 honorees will be back in action at 7 p.m. Friday as the Cougs begin what they hope will be a long postseason run.
