RELEASED:  Thursday, November 15, 2007

Eight Secure AVCA All-America Honors

Madison, Wis.--Eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) individuals have been named to the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III All-America Team.

UW-Oshkosh’s Leah Rosenbaum and UW-Whitewater’s Carley Polk were first team selections, while UW-Whitewater’s Kate Lazotte secured second team honors.   UW-La Crosse’s Katelyn Carlson and Brianne Stankus, UW-Oshkosh’s Samantha Schmidt and Kim Vail and UW-Platteville’s Kelly Laschinger were honorable mention choices.

Rosenbaum, a senior middle blocker from Wrightstown, Wis., claimed All-America honors for the third straight season and was named to the first team for the second consecutive year.  She was a third team selection in 2005.  Rosenbaum becomes the third three-time All-American for the Titans joining Amy Ward (1994-96) and Christina Southward (1999-2001).

Rosenbaum leads the WIAC with a .405 hitting percentage, while ranking second with 3.88 kills per game and 1.18 blocks per game.  For her career, she slammed down 1,726 kills and amassed 518 blocks.  Her kill total ranks third and fifth in school and conference history, respectively, while her block amount places her fourth in UW-Oshkosh annals.

Polk, a senior middle blocker from Dousman, Wis. (Mukwonago H.S.), was an All-America second team pick a year ago and becomes the program’s initial first team selection since Angie Wildish in 2002.

She was named the WIAC Player of the Year this season and ranks third in the conference with a .320 hitting percentage, fifth with 1.05 blocks per game and ninth with 3.33 kills per game.  Polk is just one of 12 players in UW-Whitewater history to record more than 1,000 career kills, her career hitting percentage will rank among the top 10 and she is currently third with 541 career blocks. 

Lazotte, a senior setter from Stoughton, Wis., ranks fourth in the league with 12.08 assists per game.   Her 1,751 assists this year place her 11th on UW-Whitewater’s single-season list and she is currently sixth on the school’s career list with 3,176 assists.

All eight individuals were named to the AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team earlier this month, while UW-Platteville’s Lisa Bell claimed honorable mention honors on the regional squad.