Bricio and Hagglund earn All-Pac 12 honors


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Junior libero Natalie Hagglund received her second Pac-12 Libero of the Year award and freshman outside hitter Samantha Bricio was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, the conference announced Tuesday.

Next in line · Freshman outside hitter Samantha Bricio is the second player from USC to be named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in three years. – Austin Vogel | Daily Trojan

Both Hagglund and Bricio were selected for the All-Pac-12 team, and Bricio also earned Pac-12 All-Freshman team honors.

Senior opposite hitter Katie Fuller, junior middle blocker Alexis Olgard and junior outside hitter Sara Shaw all received All-Pac-12 honorable mentions, while freshman middle blocker Alicia Ogoms also notched an All-Freshman honorable mention.

Hagglund, who was also named Pac-12 Libero of the Year last year, has been the sole recipient of the award in its two-year history. She leads the conference with 5.09 digs per set.

In an upset over then-No.1 Stanford on Nov. 15, Hagglund registered 44 digs, making her the only Pac-12 player to tally more than 40 in a match this season.

Bricio, who is the second USC player in three years and fifth all-time to earn Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors, leads the conference with 0.34 aces per set and ranks fifth in both kills and points per set.

The Guadalajara, Mexico native has been named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week five times this season and was also named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 8.

Pac-12 Player of the Year honors went to Oregon outside hitter Alaina Bergsma. Oregon setter Lauren Plum was chosen as Setter of the Year and Stanford coach John Dunning received his fourth Pac-12 Coach of the Year award.

USC (27-5, 15-5) is ranked fourth in the nation and stands at third place in the Pac-12.

The team received the sixth seed in the 2012 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball championship and will host Fairfield (22-8) at 7:30 p.m. in a first-round matchup Thursday at the Galen Center.

The winner of the match will face either San Diego State (23-7) or Saint Mary’s College (17-10) in the second round at 7 p.m. on Friday at the Galen Center.