Hackmann Excels at New Role, Named Libero of the Year

The Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU) is pleased to announce its selection of Missouri State's Cara Hackmann as the 2009 CVU Libero of the Year.

Not only is this Hackmann's first time making the CVU Top Five, but it's also her first year as libero, as the junior switched to the position to start this season.

The 6-0 Hackmann didn't waste any time making a mark in her new role, though, earning Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors in the fourth week of the season, and going on to earn the accolades four times over the season, as well as a MVC Player of the Week award. Her best single match was in the Bears' five-set win over Evansville, when she scooped a conference single-match record 46 digs. She also earned CVU National Player of the Week honors — the only libero to do so in 2009.

On the season, Hackmann averaged 5.74 digs per set and finished with 671 total — both Missouri State single-season records. She earned MVC Libero and Defensive Player of the Year honors and was fifth in the NCAA rankings in digs per set.

Filling out the Top Five are Shelly Walroth from Jacksonville, Iowa State's Ashley Mass, Kim Maroon of Villanova and another player out of the Missouri Valley Conference — UNI's Ellie Blankenship.

Following up on the heels of an excellent junior season, Walroth makes the Top Five for the second consecutive year after averaging 5.85 digs per set. Walroth was a unanimous Atlantic Sun first team selection and the conference's defensive player of the year. She finished her career ranked fifth in the NCAA books in both total digs and digs per set.

Mass was the Big 12 Libero of Year and set a Cyclone record with 42 digs in a single match as she helped Iowa State to a place on CVU's Top Five Digging Teams list. She averaged 5.49 digs per set and committed only eight service return errors all season.

A sophomore, Maroon had six matches with at least 30 digs, including a best of 45, while averaging 6.02 digs per set — good for second in the NCAA rankings. She also set the Villanova single-season record for digs, which had stood since 1995, with 674.

Finally, for the third consecutive season, Blankenship set the UNI single-season record for digs and led the Panthers to Digging Team of the Year as well as Top Five Overall Defensive honors from CVU.

Libero of the Year

Cara Hackmann, Missouri State

Honorable Mentions

• Ellie Blankenship, UNI
• Ashley Mass, Iowa State
• Kim Maroon, Villanova
• Shelly Walroth, Jacksonville

To aid selection, player stats were used. Rather than strictly using digs per game, a formula was developed to find an approximate efficiency. An average number of attempts received per game was figured, and by using that, an approximate efficiency was calculated. Further, a player's service receive errors were also including in the figures to come up with the final numbers.

For more information on the methods used, to provide input, or help develop these methods, please contact CVU here. Feedback is welcome.

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