With the versatility of Teee Williams, the kindness of Angelica Ljungquist and the graceful athleticism of Terry Malterre, Emily Hartong rose into rare Rainbow Wahine air Wednesday when she was named first-team All-American a second straight year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

The All-America honors were announced on the eve of the final four in Seattle. USC’s Ebony Nwanebu is the AVCA’s Freshman of the Year. The national Player of the Year will be announced Friday. Missouri freshman Carly Kan, out of Punahou, earned honorable mention All-America honors.

Hartong is the 16th Wahine to repeat as a first-team All-American. Former Wahine Diane Sebastian, Deitre Collins, Williams, Kim Willoughby and Kanani Danielson did it three times, with Collins, Williams, Willoughby and Ljungquist collecting National Player of the Year honors.

Hartong was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2010 and earned second-team All-America honors the following season. She played middle both years, then switched to the outside to become one the nation’s most prolific hitters, ranking in the Top 10 in kills her final two seasons. She was also Big West Player of the Year both seasons and collected eight BWC Player of the Week awards, including the first week of this season when she led Hawaii to a win over defending NCAA champion Texas — its first over a top-ranked opponent since 2000.

Hartong averaged 4.69 a set this season for 11th-ranked Hawaii, which finished at 25-5, in the NCAA tournament’s second round. She called the season-ending loss to Brigham Young "really sad," but had this advice for her younger teammates.

"It’s part of being an athlete," Hartong said. "You will have wins and losses. Most seniors finish their careers in college with a loss. Only one team actually wins. It’s very sad it had to happen so early for us, but you can definitely learn from this."

The Los Alamitos, Calif., native played all 125 matches the last four years and finished with 1,494 kills — seventh on the UH career list, hitting .299 for her career.

Those numbers are not what her teammates talk about when they assess Hartong’s most compelling trait.

"Just her overall presence in the gym," says freshman Tayler Higgins. "She really does work hard. Everything she does, she does with a purpose. What helps her is her mind-set. She is very determined, really just wants to get better every day."

For all her impact, Hartong never got used to being recognized in the one place in America where college volleyball is a revenue sport.

"I’m still getting used to it," Hartong says. "You never think about it. You play a sport, do what you’ve been doing your whole life. But being on a UH athletic team is like nowhere else. Everyone idolizes you. It’s weird. Little kids come up and want your autograph and picture. It’s a great feeling.

"I’ve been kind of a shy, awkward person. When people come up to me, I’m a little taken off-guard sometimes, but it feels good. It’s a cool feeling when someone recognizes you or talks to you about volleyball randomly."

NOTES

Top-ranked Texas reached its fifth final four in six seasons with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-23 win over Nebraska Saturday in Lincoln. The crowd of 8,343 at Bob Devaney Sports Center saw the Cornhuskers get swept at home for the first time since Hawaii did it in 1989.

Nebraska’s regional crowds over the weekend pushed it to No. 1 in NCAA attendance, with 155,324 fans in 19 home matches. Hawaii, which had led the nation since moving into the Stan Sheriff Center in 1994, finished second with 144,235 fans, also in 19 home dates.

The Rainbow Wahine’s 7,591 average was second-best in program history. Nebraska and UH were the only teams to average more than 4,000. At last week’s regionals, the Cornhuskers averaged 8,320. Illinois got 3,527, followed by USC (2,164) and Kentucky (1,856).

Hawaii bid to host regionals in 2015, 2016 and 2017. San Diego, Lexington, Ky., Austin, Texas, and Des Moines, Iowa, were chosen for 2015. The announcement for the other two years has been delayed.

Next year’s final four will be in Oklahoma City, followed by Omaha, Neb., (2015), Columbus, Ohio, (2016) and Kansas City, Mo. (2017). The 2014 regionals are at the University of Washington, Iowa State, Louisville and Minnesota.

» The Longhorns take the country’s longest winning streak (23) into tonight’s (5:30 p.m. Hawaii time) semifinal against 12th-seeded Wisconsin. Second-seeded Penn State takes on third-seeded Washington in the late semifinal at Seattle’s KeyArena. The Huskies helped attendance Saturday by rallying to win the final three sets against USC behind Krista Vansant’s 38 kills and 30 digs.

DIVISION I AVCA ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

FIRST TEAM
Inky Ajanaku, Stanford, MB, So.
Tori Dixon, Minnesota, MB, Sr.
Haley Eckerman, Texas, OH, Jr.
Natalie Hagglund, So. California, L, Sr.
Micha Hancock, Penn State, S, Jr.
Emily Hartong, Hawaii, OH, Sr.
Lisa Henning, Missouri, OH, Sr.
Molly Kreklow, Missouri, S, Sr.
Chloe Mann, Florida, MB, Sr.
Ebony Nwanebu, So. California, OH, Fr.
Kelsey Robinson, Nebraska, OH, Sr
Ariel Scott, Penn State, RS, Sr.
Krista Vansant, Washington. OH, Jr.
Carly Wopat, Stanford, MB, Sr.

SECOND TEAM
Whitney Billings, Kentucky, RS, Sr.
Liz Brenner, Oregon, OH, Jr.
Samantha Bricio, So. California, OH, So.
Madi Bugg, Stanford, S, So.
Lauren Carlini, Wisconsin, S, Fr.
Chloe Ferrari, San Diego, MB, Sr.
Kristen Hahn, Iowa State, L, Sr.
Christina Higgins, California, RS, Jr.
Deja McClendon, Penn State, OH, Sr.
Sallie McLaurin, Oklahoma, MB, Sr.
Chiaka Ogbogu, Texas, MB, Fr.
Bailey Webster, Texas, OH, Sr.
Lauren Wicinski, Michigan Statey, OH, Sr.
Ashley Wittman, Minnesota, OH, Sr.

THIRD TEAM
McKenzie Adams, UTSA, OH, Sr.
Jocelynn Birks, Illinois, OH, RS So.
Chelsey Feekin, Wichita State, S, Sr.
Alexa Gray, BYU, OH, So.
Caroline Jarmoc, Kansas, MB, RS Sr.
Elizabeth Koberstein, Marquette, S, Sr.
Kori Moster, Michigan State, L, Jr.
Kaleigh Nelson, Washington, OH, Jr.
Val Nichol, Purdue, S, Jr.
Alexis Olgard, So. California, MB, Sr.
Chantale Riddle, New Mexico, RS, RS Jr.
Kadie Rolfzen, Nebraska, OH, Fr.
Emily Sklar, Duke, OH, So.
Katie Slay, Penn State, MB, Sr.

2013 AVCA FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Ebony Nwanebu, Southern Calif., OH
2013 AVCA PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Announced at the AVCA All-America/Player of the Year Banquet on Friday.

HONORABLE MENTION
Players with Hawaii ties
Carly Kan, Missouri, OH, Fr.
C’era Oliveira, San Diego, L, Sr.