Botkin, Lanier, and Lázaro Earn Spots on AVCA All-Pacific South Region Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. – USC women's volleyball junior outside hitter Khalia Lanier (Scottsdale, Ariz./Xavier College Preparatory), sophomore outside hitter Brooke Botkin (Houston, Texas/Pearland HS), and freshman setter Raquel Lázaro (Córdoba, Spain/Castile HS) were named to the 2018 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Pacific South All-Region Team on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

The trio's selection marks the first time that three Women of Troy have been placed on the all-region team since 2015 (Samantha Bricio, Alicia Ogoms, Taylor Whittingham) and gives the USC program 64 all-time all-region selections since 1989. Botkin and Lanier also received All-Pac-12 notice last week; Lázaro was chosen as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and earned Pac-12 all-conference honorable mention and a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

Each all-region choice is now eligible to be chosen for AVCA All-America honors. The All-Americans will be named and honored at next week's AVCA convention and Players of the Year Banquet in Minneapolis, Minn.

Lanier's all-region selection is her third-career honor. She was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2017 and received All-America honorable mention as a freshman in 2016. She was part of the Pac-12's preseason all-conference team and was named to three non-conference all-tournament teams including MVP status at the Bubly Invitational (Florida) and the Trojan Invitational (USC). Lanier is fourth in the Pac-12 for kills (4.27 kps) and points (4.78 pps) this season.

Botkin earns her first-career all-region award to follow her first-career All-Pac-12 award. She was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (Aug. 27) and was named to two non-conference all-tournament teams this fall. She ranks third in the Pac-12 for kills (4.39 kps) and points (4.85 pps) and shares team-high honors with Lázaro with 12 double-doubles this season.

Lázaro became USC's eighth all-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Year; the first since 2013 (Ebony Nwanebu). She was chosen for Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards four times this fall and has started every match for the Women of Troy with a team-high 12 double-doubles (tied with Botkin). Lázaro led the Pac-12 with 1,402 assists this season and is third with a 11.22 aps average. Her total assists rank sixth all-time in USC single-season history.

First-year head coach Brent Crouch guided the Women of Troy to a 22-11 overall record and a second-place tie in the Pac-12 (13-7). The Trojans played one of the toughest schedules in the nation with 18 AVCA ranked opponents. USC made its 36th appearance in the NCAA tournament (28th consecutive) and advanced to the second round as the 11th seed before falling in an upset to San Diego.

For more information on the USC women's volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Players Mentioned

Brooke Botkin

Khalia Lanier