LINCOLN — The Huskers will enter their final year as a member of the Big 12 in a familiar position:

Favored to win a conference championship in volleyball.

Nebraska was tabbed as the top pick in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll released Thursday, marking the 12th time in league history the Huskers will be the favorite to capture a conference crown.

Nebraska, which finished third in the conference last year, had a league-best four players earn preseason All-Big 12 honors: Sydney Anderson, Kayla Banwarth, Brooke Delano and Hannah Werth.

The Huskers received nine of a possible 11 first-place votes in the poll, with 2009 champion Texas claiming the other two. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams, meaning Nebraska's John Cook and one other coach besides UT's Jerritt Elliott gave the Longhorns the nod.

Iowa State, coming off a surprising second-place finish last season, is picked to finish third in 2010.

Texas' Juliann Faucette, a senior outside hitter, is the Big 12's preseason player of the year.

Preseason newcomer of the year honors went to Texas Tech's Justine Young, a standout from Sacramento, Calif., who previously starred at Des Moines Area Community College. Young got the nod over Nebraska's Lauren Cook, the Lincoln Pius X graduate who transferred to NU after winning the national freshman of the year award last year at UCLA.

Missouri's Molly Kreklow — a touted setter and the country's No. 20 recruit out of Delano, Minn. — is the Big 12's preseason freshman of the year. Another strong candidate for the regular season freshman of the year award will be Nebraska's Morgan Broekhuis, a 6-foot-5 right-side hitter from Colorado Springs, Colo., who was ranked the No. 2 recruit nationally.

PRESEASON BIG 12 COACHES POLL

1. Nebraska (9) 98 points; 2. Texas (2) 91; 3. Iowa State 84; 4. Oklahoma 65; 5. Missouri 63; 6. Baylor 52; 7. Texas A&M 48; 8. Kansas 38; 9. Kansas State 37; 10. Texas Tech 15; 11. Colorado 14.
(First-place votes in parenthesis)

PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 AWARDS

Player of the Year: Juliann Faucette, Texas.

Newcomer of the Year: Justine Young, Texas Tech **Freshman of the Year: Molly Kreklow, Missouri PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 TEAM

Baylor: Torri Campbell (6-2, So., MB); Ashlie Christenson (6-0 , Sr. OH/RS).

Iowa State: Victoria Henson (5-11, Sr. OH); Rachel Hockaday (6-0, Jr., OH); Ashley Mass (5-8, Sr. DS/L).

Kansas: Karina Garlington (6-0, Sr., OH).

Missouri: Paola Ampudia (6-1, Sr., OH/RS).

Nebraska: Sydney Anderson (6-0, Sr., S); Kayla Banwarth (5-11, Sr., L); Brooke Delano (6-4, Jr., MB); Hannah Werth (6-1, So., OH).

Oklahoma: Brianna Barker (5-9, Jr., S); Francie Ekwerekwu (5-11, Sr., MB)..

Texas: Rachael Adams (6-2; Jr., MB); Juliann Faucette (6-2, Sr., OH).

Texas A&M: Kelsey Black (5-11, Jr., OH).

Texas Tech: Amanda Dowdy (6-3, Jr., MB/OH).

Contact the writer:

444-1207, chad.purcell@owh.com

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