COLLEGE STATION -- Texas A&M senior outside hitters Sarah Ammerman and Jennifer Banse have been named to the All-Big 12 First Team, and Aggie middle blocker Lindsey Miller has been selected to the All-Freshman Team, the conference office announced today.

Ammerman, a two-time preseason All-Big 12 selection from Parker, Colo., is making her inaugural appearance on the first team, having received All-Big honorable mention as a junior. The 6-2 left side hitter ranks second in the league with 4.23 kills per set and third in points with a 4.64 average in all matches. In Big 12 matches only, Ammerman ranked third in the conference with 4.24 points per set and fourth with 4.6 points per set.

Earlier this season, Ammerman was named MVP at the Texas State CenturyTel Premier and also was selected to Texas A&M Invitational all-tournament team after helping to lead the Aggies to the championship title in each event. In addition, she was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Volleyball first team.

The A&M season leader in both kills and points, Ammerman ranks third on the team with 3.07 digs per set and boasts a team-best 12 double-double performances. She has posted 20-plus kills in six matches this season, and she ranks sixth in the A&M career records for kills with 1,476, only four kills shy of jumping up to fourth. She also is listed third in the A&M career records for points (1665.0) and needs three digs to become the 18th player in A&M history to reach the 1,000-career dig milestone and the 10th player in the history of the program to reach the 1,000 landmark in both career kills and digs.

Banse also is making her first appearance on the All-Big 12 team after starting every match this season on the right side and ranking second on the team and eighth in the Big 12 for both kills and digs per set with 3.27 and 3.66, respectively. An all-tournament selection in the season-opening Texas A&M Invitational, Banse has posted double figures in kills in 15 matches, including 11 of last 16 matches. In addition, the 6-0 San Antonio native has posted double figures in digs in 14 matches this season, second most on the team.

Ammerman and Banse are the first players from A&M to be named to the All-Big 12 Team since Christi Han received the honor in 2006. This is the first year A&M has had two selections on the first team since former All-Americans Melissa Munsch and Laura Jones were named to the 2004 squad.

Miller, from Katy, Texas, becomes A&M’s first representative on the All-Freshman Team, which was formed in 2007. The 6-2 Cinco Ranch High School product has started every match for the Aggies as a true freshman and leads A&M starters with 0.84 blocks per set and is second on the team and ninth in the Big 12 with a .303 hitting percentage.

Earlier this season, Miller was named to the all-tournament team at the Texas State CenturyTel Premier.

A&M (18-10) tied Baylor and Oklahoma for fourth place in the conference standings with an 11-9 record and received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies begin postseason action at 5 p.m. on Friday against Arizona at the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, La. The winner takes on the winner between No. 15 seed LSU and Tulane on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in Baton Rouge.

The following is the complete list of 2009 All-Big 12 volleyball awards:

Player of the Year: Destinee Hooker, Texas, OH, Sr., 6-4, San Antonio, Texas/Southwest^

Newcomer of the Year: Paola Ampudia, Missouri, OH/RS, Jr., 6-1, Cali, Colombia/Miami Dade College^

Freshman of the Year: Hannah Werth, Nebraska, OH, Fr., 6-1, Springfield, Ill./Glenwood

Defensive Player of the Year: Anna Breyfogle, Baylor, MB, Sr., 6-1, Buda, Texas/Hays

Libero of the Year: Ashley Mass, Iowa State, DS/L, Jr., 5-8, Muskego, Wis./Muskego^

Coach of the Year: Christy Johnson-Lynch, Iowa State

ALL-BIG 12 FIRST TEAM

Name, School Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown/Previous School

Taylor Barnes, Baylor S Sr. 5-11 Arlington, Texas/Martin

Anna Breyfogle, Baylor MB Sr. 6-1 Buda, Texas/Hays

Victoria Henson, Iowa State OH Jr. 5-11 Leavenworth, Kan./Leavenworth

Kaylee Manns, Iowa State S Sr. 5-10 Topeka, Kan./Washburn Rural

Ashley Mass, Iowa State^ DS/L Jr. 5-8 Muskego, Wis./Muskego

Paola Ampudia, Missouri OH/RS Jr. 6-1 Cali, Colombia/Miami Dade College

Sydney Anderson, Nebraska S Jr. 6-0 Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah

Kori Cooper, Nebraska MB Sr. 6-2 Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo

Brooke Delano, Nebraska MB So. 6-4 Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West

Ashley Engle, Texas S/RS Sr. 6-3 Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza

Juliann Faucette, Texas OH Jr. 6-2 San Diego, Calif./Westview

Destinee Hooker, Texas^ OH Sr. 6-4 San Antonio, Texas/Southwest

Sarah Ammerman, Texas A&M OH Sr. 6-2 Parker, Colo./Chaparral

Jennifer Banse, Texas A&M OH Sr. 6-0 San Antonio, Texas/Churchill

ALL-BIG 12 HONORABLE MENTION

Name, School Pos. Cl. Ht. Hometown/Previous School

Rachel Hockaday, Iowa State OH So. 6-0 Decatur, Ill./Maroa-Forsyth

Kelsey Chipman, Kansas State MB Sr. 6-1 Topeka, Kan./Washburn Rural

Kayla Banwarth, Nebraska L Jr. 5-11 Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic

Hannah Werth, Nebraska OH Fr. 6-1 Springfield, Ill./Glenwood

Brianne Barker, Oklahoma S So. 5-9 Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo

Francie Ekwerekwu, Oklahoma MB Jr. 5-11 Arlington, Texas/Arlington

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Name, School Pos. Ht. Hometown/Previous School

Torri Campbell, Baylor MB 6-2 Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo

Jamie Straube, Iowa State^ MB 6-2 Tecumseh, Neb./Johnson County Central

Hannah Werth, Nebraska^ OH 6-1 Springfield, Ill./Glenwood

María Fernanda, Oklahoma L 5-7 Rio Piedras, P.R./Colegio Adianaez

Bailey Webster, Texas OH/OPP 6-3 Baltimore, Md./St. Paul’s School For Girls

Lindsey Miller, Texas A&M MB 6-2 Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch

^ - Unanimous Selection