Pac-12 announces inaugural Beach Volleyball all-conference teams

SAN FRANCISCO - USC junior Kelly Claes has been named Player of the Year and earned Pair of the Year along with classmate Sara Hughes, UCLA rookie Megan McNamara was chosen Freshman of the Year and ARIZONA's Steve Walker was voted Coach of the Year in the inaugural Pac-12 Beach Volleyball All-Conference selections on Thursday.

The Pac-12 All-Conference Teams and end-of-year awards were nominated and voted on by the league's eight head coaches.

PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kelly Claes, USC

Claes, a junior from Fullerton, Calif., formed one-half of No. 1 nationally ranked USC's dynamic top duo that has posted a perfect 44-0 record in all competitions, including a 32-0 mark in dual matches, entering this weekend's NCAA Championship.

PAC-12 PAIR OF THE YEAR: Kelly Claes & Sara Hughes, USC

Claes and Hughes, from Costa Mesa, Calif., teamed to win three of the league's eight Pair of the Week honors this spring as well as the first-ever Pairs title at last week's Pac-12 Championships to also claim the distinction of Conference Pair of the Year.

PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Megan McNamara, UCLA

Vancouver, B.C., native Megan McNamara has amassed 16 victories at the No. 1 spot in her first season in Westwood, the second-most on the team for No. 4 nationally ranked UCLA. She recorded 14 of those wins with twin sister Nicole McNamara, who joined Megan and Bruins' classmate Zana Muno on the five-member Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR: Steve Walker, ARIZONA

Walker guided ARIZONA to a 19-5 record and one of the nation's two at-large berths in this weekend's eight-team NCAA Championship field. He led the Wildcats to a runner-up finish in the inaugural Pac-12 Championship, which included an upset of UCLA for the program's first victory against the Bruins, and the program's highest-ever AVCA ranking of No. 6 this season.

PAC-12 ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

PAC-12 ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM