Washington University Lands 25 Student-Athletes on UAA All-Association 25-Year Volleyball Team

Rochester, N.Y., Sept. 27, 2012 – Twenty-five student-athletes from Washington University in St. Louis were among the 45 players honored on the University Athletic Association (UAA) All-Association 25-Year Volleyball Team, announced by the Association in honor of its silver anniversary.

The 25-Year Team consists of each student-athlete who was named Most Valuable Player and accumulated at least five points with two points awarded for All-Association first-team recognition and one point for second-team honors in her career.

Among Washington University’s honorees on the team, Jennifer Martz (1995-98) was the only player in Association history to be named UAA Volleyball Most Valuable Player three consecutive times (1996-98). Amy Albers (1992-94) was the only other player to garner back-to-back MVP honors (1993-94) in UAA history, and Lori Nishikawa was the only other two-time Most Valuable Player (1987, 1989).

Senior setter Marilee Fisher and senior libero Kelly Pang were the only current student-athletes from any UAA school honored on the team. Pang has earned first-team All-UAA honors in each of her first three seasons. Only two other players, Lauren Schmidt of Carnegie Mellon University and Natalie Schonefeld of Emory University, have been named to the All-Association first team four times.

In addition to Martz, Albers, Nishikawa, Fisher and Pang, Washington U. had 20 other former student-athletes among the members of the All-Association 25-Year Volleyball Team: Erin Albers (2006-09), Lisa Becker (1989-92), Kathy Bersett (1987-90), Amy Brand (2000-03), Lauren Budde (2008-11), Jenny Cafazza (1995-98), Katie Gielow (1997-2000), Stephanie Habif (1993-96), Brooke Hortin (1986-89), Audra Janak (2006-08), Kara Liefer (2002-05), Kelley Meier (1988-91), Nikki Morrison (2005-08), Anne Quenette (1991-94), Rebecca Rotello (1999-2002), Haleigh Spencer (2004-07), Diane Stites (1987-90), Amy Sullivan (1991-93), Shelley Swan (1994-95), and Colleen Winter (2001-04).

In 25 years, teams from the UAA have captured 11 national championships, including an NCAA Division III record 10 by Washington University. In 2003, three Association teams advanced to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship Final Four with Washington U. and New York University meeting in the national final. In 2012, Washington University won its 20th UAA championship.