University of Minnesota Athletics
Harms and Dixon Named All-Americans by AVCA
12/12/2012 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Dec. 12, 2012
Senior opposite hitter Katherine Harms (Albertville, Minn.) was named a first-team All-American, while junior middle blocker Tori Dixon (Burnsville, Minn.) was named a second team All-American, announced by the America Volleyball Coaches Association on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
The All-America honors follow all-region and All-Big Ten selections for the Gopher duo. The Harms and Dixon selections mark the ninth time in the past 11 years a Golden Gopher has received All-America status and the 22nd and 23rd honor in school history. It also is the first All-America honor for Harms, while Dixon received honorable mention status last year. Junior outside hitter Ashley Wittman (Shakopee, Minn.) was named an All-America honorable mention.
She bettered her junior numbers from 305 kills to 516 this season and 177 digs to 311. In NCAA Tournament action this year, Harms led the team in kills (58), kills per set (3.87) and aces (6). She amassed her 1,000th career kill in the regular season finale against Indiana (11/24). Harms finished her Gopher career with 1,071 career kills and 654 career digs. Having a standout season, she entered the year with 555 career kills and 340 digs. Having never earned weekly conference awards, Harms snagged three Big Ten Player of the Week honors this year.
In league games alone, Dixon hit .420, which only rivaled teammate Dana Knudsen. A Preseason All-Big Ten honoree, Dixon was a three-time winner of the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week. Against Penn State earlier this year, she accomplished a season-best 11 blocks, averaging 1.06 per set this season. Dixon ranked third on the team in aces (31), had 86 digs and produced 491.0 points In 126 sets played.
Dixon collected her 1,000th career kill on Dec. 1, as she helped Minnesota to a four-set win over Creighton to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16. She finished NCAA Tournament play with a hitting average of .379, collected 40 kills in 87 attempts and committed just four errors in four matches played.
Wittman was named a team captain last spring and has led the Gophers throughout the 2012 campaign. A 2012 Preseason All-Big Ten, Wittman ranked third on the team with 357 kills to average 2.86 kills per set. A six-rotation player, Wittman led the Gopher back row with 350 digs this season to average 2.80 digs per set. Wittman is the only current Gopher to establish over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. She now has 1,355 career kills and 1,085 career digs. Serving up 15 aces, she also averaged 0.47 blocks per set.
AVCA/NCAA All-America (team)
2012 Katherine Harms (1)
Tori Dixon (2)
Ashley Wittman (HM)
2011 Ashley Wittman (2)
Tori Dixon (HM)
2009 Lauren Gibbemeyer (1)
Taylor Carico (3)
2008 Brook Dieter (2)
Lauren Gibbemeyer (3)
2006 Meredith Nelson (2)
Malama Peniata (HM)
2005 Paula Gentil (HM)
2004 Kelly Bowman (1)
Paula Gentil (1)
Erin Martin (HM)
2003 Cassie Busse (1)
Paula Gentil (2)
2002 Cassie Busse (2)
Paula Gentil (3)
2000 Nicole Branagh (2)
Stephanie Hagen (2)
1999 Nicole Branagh (2)
1996 Katrien DeDecker (1)
1982 Jill Halsted (HM)
