Volleyball Lands Five Student-Athletes on 2010 AVCA All-America Teams
2010 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS
St. Louis, Mo., November 17, 2010 – The No. 3 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team had five student-athletes named to the 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Team, as announced Wednesday by the Association.
Headlining the Bears’ 2010 honorees were a pair of sophomores in setter Marilee Fisher and libero Kelly Pang, who were both tabbed as first-team All-Americans. Pang repeats as a first-team selection while Fisher earned second-team All-America honors as a freshman last season. Washington University was the only team in the nation to see two student-athletes earn first-team honors.
Garnering All-America accolades for the first time in her career, junior middle hitter Lauren Budde was named a third-team All-American. Freshman outside hitter Meghan Byrne and sophomore outside hitter Drew Hargrave were tabbed as honorable mention selections.
Pang has established herself as one of the top liberos in Division III. In addition to being named a first-team All-American she earned 2010 first-team all-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors. She leads Washington University with 529 digs in 2010, an average of 5.51 per set. Pang was named to the Kenosha, Wis. Regional All-Tournament team last weekend and corralled 31 digs in the Bears’ three-set win over No. 14 University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the regional final, an amazing 10.3 digs per set. She topped 30 digs on three occasions this season and has recorded double-digit digs in 27 matches.
Fisher was the NCAA Division III statistical champion in assists per set as a freshman, and is poised to repeat that feat as she has orchestrates one of the most efficient attacking offenses in the country. She has 1,195 assists this season for an average of 11.72 per set, ranking first in the nation once again. Washington University is hitting .282 as a team, the fourth-highest team hitting percentage in Division III. Fisher’s accomplishments extend to the classroom as earlier this year she was named an ESPN the Magazine third-team Academic All-District VII honoree with a 3.75 cumulative grade point average in the College of Arts & Sciences.
As a six-rotation middle hitter, Budde makes an impact for Washington University on nearly every play. She ranks second on the team in kills with 392, but first in kills per set with 3.50. Budde is also second with 346 digs, averaging 3.09 per set, and first in total blocks at 95 (24 solo, 71 assists). She has 18 double-doubles this season and also recorded a triple-double. She registered double figures in kills in digs in all three of the Bears’ NCAA Tournament matches thus far, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Kenosha, Wis. Regional last weekend.
Byrne is having an amazing inaugural season for Washington U. as she was named the Central Region Freshman of the Year and the UAA Rookie of the Year. She leads Washington University with 396 kills and a hitting percentage of .357, which ranks 32nd in Division III. Byrne has recorded 10 or more kills in 23 matches and hit better than .400 in 18 matches, including 10 of her last 12 contests. Her season-high of 20 kills came against Emory University on Nov. 6.
Hargrave has also provided Washington University with a consistent attack on the outside ranking third on the team with 359 kills while hitting .313. She averages 3.09 kills per set and registered a career-high 18 kills with a .556 attack percentage against Hanover College on Oct. 30. Hargrave earned honorable mention all-UAA accolades last week and was named to the Washington University Bears Classic and Washington University Invitational All-Tournament teams earlier this year.
Washington U. (34-3) will face UAA foe New York University in the NCAA quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 19, at the Washington University Field House in St. Louis, Mo., at 8 p.m.