Albers, Fisher and Pang Earn 2009 AVCA All-America Accolades

Cleveland, Ohio, November 19, 2009 – The fourth-ranked Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team landed three student-athletes on the 2009 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III All-America teams, as announced Wednesday at the NCAA Division III Championship Banquet at the Intercontinental Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.

Freshman libero Kelly Pang highlighted the Washington University honorees, garnering first-team All-America accolades in addition to being named the 2009 NCAA Division III Freshman of the Year. Senior middle hitter Erin Albers and freshman setter Marilee Fisher were each named second-team All-Americans.

Pang is enjoying a record-breaking freshman campaign as Washington University’s primary passer and she is the first student-athlete in program history to be named national Freshman of the Year. With 637 digs so far this season, an average of 5.49 per set, Pang has set a new Washington University single-season record, breaking the old mark of 606 set by Nicole Hodgman in 2003.

Pang was also a first-team all-University Athletic Association (UAA) and AVCA all-Central Region selection, garnering Central Region Freshman of the Year honors. She has notched double-digit digs in 31 matches this year, and topped 30 digs on three occasions. Pang was named to the NCAA Central Regional All-Tournament team where she tallied at least 18 digs in all three matches and notched 23, an average of 7.7 per set, in the Bears’ 3-0 win over No. 8 Carthage College in the Central Region final on Nov. 14.

Albers is an All-American for the third-straight year, but it is the first time she has been named to the national second-team, earning honorable mention honors in 2007 and third-team recognition a year ago. She ranks second on the team with 390 kills, and leads the Bears with a .352 hitting percentage and 108 total blocks.

Albers notched career-kill No. 1,000 in Washington University’s win over Carthage College and has 1,003 kills over her four-year career on the Danforth Campus. She ranks in the top-10 in school history in three statistical categories; she is seventh in solo blocks (103), eighth in block assists (264) and ninth in total blocks (367). Her career hitting percentage of .351 is 11th in school history.

Fisher has done a remarkable job stepping in to run the Washington University offense as a freshman as she leads NCAA Division III in assists per set at 11.51, with a total of 909 assists. She earned second-team all-UAA honors and was also a first-team AVCA Central Region selection.

Fisher was named the Central Regional Most Outstanding Player after notching 128 assists over three matches, an average of 11.64 per set. She had 34 assists in Washington University’s 3-0 win over Carthage, also tallying eight digs and two block assists.

Washington University (31-4) continues its run in the 2009 NCAA Division III Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 19, when it faces Colorado College in the national quarterfinals at the DeCarlo Field House in University Heights, Ohio, at 12:30 p.m. (ET).