UW-River Falls' Tvrdik Headlines All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Wednesday, November 12, 2003

UW-River Falls' Tvrdik Headlines All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Melissa Tvrdik was voted the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year, headlining the 12-member All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team, which was recently selected by the league coaches.

Tvrdik helped the Falcons to a share of the WIAC championship for the second straight season and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Falcons have also registered the most wins (34) since the 1995 squad posted 38 victories.

Tvrdik earned All-WIAC First Team recognition a year ago after claiming honorable mention honors in 2001. She ranks third in the league with a .358 hitting percentage, while placing 10th with 3.20 kills per game. Tvrdik leads the team with 131 total blocks, 112 block assists and 19 solo blocks. She has recorded double-digit kills in 30 of 39 matches this season and registered a career-high 14 digs against UW-Whitewater on September 20 and Nebraska Wesleyan on October 10.

Tvrdik currently ranks third on the school's all-time list with 1,191 career kills and is fifth with 2,648 career kill attempts. In 412 career games played, she has a .325 hitting percentage, 334 digs, 102 service aces, 35 assists, 50 solo blocks, 329 block assists and 379 total blocks. Additionally, Tvrdik has recorded double-digit kills in 68 of 111 career matches played.

Tvrdik becomes the second player in school history to win the player of the year honor, joining Melissa Mattson who claimed the award during the 2000 season.

Tvrdik is joined on the first team by teammates Krystle Brune and Nina Petersen. Brune earned her third straight first team honor and ranks fifth in the league with 3.56 kills per game and is fourth on the team with 65 total blocks. Her 1,359 kill attempts this year rank in the top 10 on the league's single-season list. Petersen earned honorable mention status a year ago and is currently second on the team with 1,016 kill attempts and third with 2.69 kills per game and 102 total blocks.

UW-La Crosse's Tanya Foldy and Elissa Hansen helped the Eagles to a share of the regular season title, the school's first since 1986, the WIAC Tournament championship and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Foldy earned her first career league honor and ranks fourth in the conference with 11.67 assists per contest. Her 1,505 assists this season established a school single-season record. Hansen earned first team recognition for the second straight season and ranks third in the league with .60 service aces per game, while placing sixth with 3.38 kills per contest.

UW-Oshkosh recorded its fifth straight 20-win season (29-9) and had two individuals recognized on the first team. Amanda Delgadillo earned her second consecutive first team honor after leading the league with 4.35 kills per game and ranking second with 4.71 digs per game and sixth with .56 service aces per contest. Her 604 kills this year rank in the top five of the conference's single-season list.

UW-Oshkosh's Amber Petersen leads the conference with 1.60 blocks per game, while ranking second with a .369 hitting percentage and fifth with .57 service aces per game. She earned honorable mention accolades a year ago.

UW-Whitewater's Megan Kay and Michelle Stanislawski helped the Warhawks to their 12th consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearance this year. Kay ranks third in the WIAC with 1.36 blocks per game, while placing fourth with a .331 hitting percentage. Stanislawski was named to the All-WIAC Defensive Team a year ago and currently leads the league with 12.81 assists per game. Her 1,614 assists this season rank in the top 10 on the conference's single-season list.

UW-Eau Claire had a pair of individuals earn first team honors after helping the squad to a 23-10 mark. Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt earned first team accolades for the second straight season, after earning honorable mention in 2001. She leads the league with a .371 hitting percentage, while ranking fourth with 3.63 kills per game and fifth with 1.15 blocks per contest. Becca Carstensen ranks fourth in the conference with 1.18 blocks per game and .57 service aces per contest, while placing sixth with a .329 hitting percentage.

UW-Stout's Gretchen Schroer earned her first career league honor after ranking ninth in the conference with 3.23 kills per game and placing 11th with a .264 hitting percentage.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Molly Menard, UW-La Crosse's Rachel Kreuser, UW-Oshkosh's Ashley Fischer, UW-Platteville's Joanna Carlson and Andrea Coffman, UW-Stout's Tanille Zenner, UW-Superior's Kim Dunbar and Molly Ray and UW-Whitewater's Jamie Konrath.

The league coaches also recognized a four-member all-defensive team for the 2003 season. Individuals receiving recognition included: UW-Eau Claire's Missy Malvitz, UW-La Crosse's Annalee Erdmann, UW-Oshkosh's Jackie Regester and UW-Platteville's Tracey Kuehne. Kuehne leads the conference with 4.76 digs per game, while Malvitz ranks fifth (4.31), Regester places seventh (3.96) and Erdmann is ninth (3.77).

UW-La Crosse head coach Sheila Perkins was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches, marking the first time in her career she has won the award. Perkins directed the Eagles to their first league title since 1986 and a 31-5 overall record, establishing the most wins since the 1992 season (31). In her 10 seasons at UW-La Crosse, Perkins has compiled a 238-106 (.692) record.

2003 All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team

First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Krystle Brune, UW-River Falls, Senior, Outside Hitter, Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan)
Becca Carstensen, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Middle Hitter, Eau Claire (Memorial)
Amanda Delgadillo, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Outside Hitter, West Allis (Hale)
Tanya Foldy, UW-La Crosse, Sophomore, Setter, Muskego
Elissa Hansen, UW-La Crosse, Senior, Outside Hitter, West Bend (West)
Megan Kay, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Middle Blocker, Dickeyville (Cuba City)
Amber Petersen, UW-Oshkosh, Junior, Middle Blocker, Milwaukee (Nicolet)
Nina Petersen, UW-River Falls, Junior, Outside Hitter, Byron, Minn.
Gretchen Schroer, UW-Stout, Senior, Outside Hitter, Eau Claire (North)
Michelle Stanislawski, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Setter, Milwaukee (Thomas More)
Melissa Tvrdik, UW-River Falls, Senior, Middle Hitter, Farwell, Minn. (Minnewaska Area)
Brooke Wozniak-Schmidt, UW-Eau Claire, Senior, Middle Hitter, Stanley (Stanley-Boyd)

Honorable Mention
Joanna Carlson, UW-Platteville, Junior, Setter, Forreston, Ill.
Andrea Coffman, UW-Platteville, Junior, Middle Hitter, German Valley, Ill. (Forreston)
Kim Dunbar, UW-Superior, Junior, Outside Hitter, Proctor, Minn.
Ashley Fischer, UW-Oshkosh, Sophomore, Setter, Fond du Lac
Jamie Konrath, UW-Whitewater, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Richfield (Hartford Union)
Rachel Kreuser, UW-La Crosse, Junior, Middle Hitter, Stevens Point (SPASH)
Molly Menard, UW-Eau Claire, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Eau Claire (Memorial)
Molly Ray, UW-Superior, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Two Harbors, Minn.
Tanille Zenner, UW-Stout, Sophomore, Middle Hitter, Athens

All-Defensive Team
Annalee Erdmann, UW-La Crosse, Senior, Outside Hitter, Sauk Rapids, Minn. (Sauk Rapids-Rice)
Tracey Kuehne, UW-Platteville, Senior, Libero, Seymour
Missy Malvitz, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Libero, Elkhorn
Jackie Regester, UW-Oshkosh, Senior, Libero, Lake Geneva (Badger)

Player of the Year: Melissa Tvrdik of UW-River Falls
Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete: Melissa Tvrdik of UW-River Falls
Coach of the Year: Sheila Perkins of UW-La Crosse

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