This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
With a ball coming her way, junior Adora Anae was among the most feared hitters in the game this past season.
The Hawaii native was honored as such with a spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association's second team All America on Wednesday. She's only the second player in Utes history to make the second team, and one of nine to be honored by the AVCA.
"She has worked hard throughout her career to become a great player and great teammate, and played a big role in our team's success this year," coach Beth Launiere said in a school news release. "This is such a tremendous honor and I couldn't be happier for Adora."
http://bit.ly/2d8DG4P";>Anae rewrote the school record book with 592 kills, which was first in the Pac-12 and sixth in the nation. Her kills-per-set (4.7) and points-per-set (5.22) averages were among the top 11 in the country.
But Anae, at 6-foot-1, was also a defensive leader: Her 407 digs were the most by any Ute this year, and she became the only player in school history to register 500 kills and 400 digs in the same season.
Anae was a first team all Pac-12 selection for the second straight year, and the Utes (20-12)http://bit.ly/2fHFinw";> finished sixth in the conference with an NCAA Tournament appearance.
In all likelihood, this won't be the last of Anae this year: Utah is expected to participate in beach volleyball events for the first time ever in the spring, and Anae could play in the debut.
kgoon@sltrib.com
Twitter: @kylegoon