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Iowa State University Athletics
Popovic Named Big 12 Libero of the Year, Four Earn All-Big 12
11.30.2021 | Volleyball
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State volleyball team's outstanding season was recognized during the Big 12 Volleyball Postseason Awards, announced on Tuesday. For the 10th time, the Cyclone program is home to the Big 12 Libero of the Year with Marija Popovic earning the honor.
She was one of three Cyclones to earn All-Big 12 First Team honors, with middle blocker Candelaria Herrera earning a second First Team honor and right side Eleanor Holthaus earning All-Big 12 First Team for the third-straight season. Holthaus joins Victoria Henson (2008, '09, '10), Jess Schaben (2016, '17, '18) and Jamie Straube (2010, '11, '12) as three-time All-Big 12 First Team selections in ISU history. This is the seventh time under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch that ISU has had at least three members of the All-Big 12 First Team.
Iowa State setter Jaden Newsome was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
Popovic, a senior from Belgrade, Serbia, joins the Cyclones' list of Big 12 Libero of the Year winners that includes Ashley Mass (2008, '09, '10), Kristen Hahn (2011, '12, '13), Caitlin Nolan (2014, '15) and Hali Hillegas (2017). Popovic led the Big 12 with her 4.65 digs per set and was in double figures in 21 of her 22 matches she played in. She also had seven matches with at least 20 digs. Popovic has now been conference libero of the year three times in her career, earning Southern Conference Libero of the Year in 2017 and 2018 at Eastern Tennessee State. She was also First Team All-Southern Conference in 2017 & 2018 at ETSU.
Herrera, a senior from San Juan, Argentina, earned All-Big 12 First Team in 2019 as well and was All-Big 12 Second Team in 2020, despite only playing the fall portion of the schedule. A 2020 Olympian for Argentina, Herrera continued to raise her game, averaging 2.48 kills per set at a team-high .326 hitting percentage, seventh-best in the Big 12. On defense, Herrera led the Big 12 with her 1.28 blocks per set. Her 125 total blocks on the season marked her third time recording at least 100 blocks in a season, the fifth player in school history to do so. Her 399 career blocks in Cardinal & Gold is fifth in ISU history.
Holthaus, a senior from Richmond, Minnesota, was the leader of the Cyclone offense again in 2021, averaging a team-best 3.21 kills per set with 14 matches with at least 10 kills. She made a step up in her defensive performances in 2021, averaging 2.58 digs per set with 11 matches in double figures and seven double-doubles on the year. In blocking, Holthaus was second on the squad with 68 total blocks at 0.79 per set.
Newsome, a senior from Houston, Texas, was authoritative in taking over the setter position in her debut season with Iowa State. Newsome ranked fourth in the Big 12 with her 9.83 assists per set and she led ISU with 10 double-doubles on the season, averaging 2.14 assists per set. Where Newsome has stood out has been in her offensive game, with her 110 kills on the season being the fifth-most by a setter in ISU history. She is also one of the Cyclones' top servers with 24 service aces on the year.
The Cyclones will be back in action on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Championship against No. 18 Stanford at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis. First serve between the Cyclones and Cardinal will be at 4:30 p.m.
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