UW-La Crosse's Wagner Tops 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 10, 2004

UW-La Crosse's Wagner Tops All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Laura Wagner was voted the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year, topping the 12-member all-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team, which was recently selected by the league coaches.

Wagner has helped UW-La Crosse to a 28-6 overall record and a second consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament bid this season. She leads the league with 4.97 kills per game, while ranking third with a .337 hitting percentage and fifth with 1.13 blocks per contest.

Wagner has registered double-digit kills in 29 of her last 30 matches, including a WIAC-record 34 kills against UW-Whitewater on November 5. The 34 kills is tied for the fifth-most in NCAA Division III this season. Her 562 kills this year rank fourth on the school's single-season list. She has been named to four all-tournament teams this season.

Wagner becomes the second Eagle to claim the conference's player of the year award. Angela Muenkel received the top honor during the 1999 season.

UW-Stout had a trio of individuals capture first team honors as Tanille Hartwig, Erin Heger and Brooke Viegut were all recognized. The trio helped the Blue Devils to their first NCAA Division III Tournament bid since 1998.

Hartwig earned first team honors for the second time in her career. She was a first team choice in 2002 and a honorable mention pick a year ago. Hartwig leads the conference with 1.65 blocks per game, while placing third with 4.31 kills per game and fourth with a .331 hitting percentage.

Heger leads the WIAC with 15.35 assists per game and ranks 19th with 3.30 digs per contest. She was all-defensive team selection in 2002.

Viegut places second in the conference with 4.72 kills per game, third with 4.76 digs per contest, 12th with 0.41 service aces per game and 16th with a .244 hitting percentage. She also earned first team status during the 2002 campaign.

UW-Whitewater's Jamie Konrath, Michelle Stanislawski and Cassie Uttech received first team honors after helping the team to the WIAC regular season championship and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Konrath leads the league with a .370 hitting percentage, while ranking 13th with 3.22 kills per game and 19th with 0.82 blocks per contest. She was a honorable mention selection a year ago.

Stanislawski earned first team honors for the second straight season after ranking fourth in the conference with 4.42 digs per game, while Uttech places third with 0.52 service aces per game, fourth with 3.93 kills per game and 11th with 3.75 digs per contest. Stanislawski was an all-defensive team honoree in 2002, while Uttech earned first team honors with UW-Oshkosh that same season.

UW-Platteville landed Joanna Carlson and Andrea Coffman on the first team after the squad compiled the most wins (27) since the 1992 season. Carlson was a honorable mention choice the last two years. She ranks second in the conference with 12.44 assists per game and 11th with 0.41 services aces per contest.

Coffman was a honorable mention choice last season and this year ranks fifth in the WIAC with 3.52 kills per game, while placing seventh with 1.05 blocks per contest and 10th with a .291 hitting percentage.

UW-Eau Claire's Becca Carstensen secured first team status for the second consecutive year after ranking second in the league with 1.52 blocks per game, fourth with 0.51 service aces per contest, eighth with a .304 hitting percentage and 14th with 3.22 kills per game.

UW-Oshkosh's Amber Petersen received first team honors for the second straight season after securing honorable mention status in 2002. She ranks third in the conference with 1.43 blocks per contest, while placing fifth with a .325 hitting percentage, eighth with 0.42 service aces per game and ninth with 3.35 kills per game.

UW-River Falls' Nina Petersen also claimed first team accolades for the second consecutive year after capturing honorable mention honors in 2002. She ranks eighth in the league with 3.40 kills per game, ninth with 0.99 blocks per game and 11th with 0.35 service aces per contest.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Jenny Wolter, UW-La Crosse's Tanya Foldy and Lindsey Johnson, UW-Oshkosh's Leah Rosenbaum, UW-Platteville's Dana Alf, UW-River Falls' Andrea Geehan, Kathryn Krtnick and Katie Thompson, UW-Stevens Point's Shelly Maus and UW-Whitewater's Kim Fruit.

The conference coaches also recognized a four-member all-defensive team and individuals receiving recognition included: UW-Eau Claire's Shanna Berger, UW-La Crosse's Jenny Randall, UW-Platteville's Miranda Hall and UW-Stevens Point's Lori Marten. Marten leads the conference with 5.37 digs per game, while Randall ranks second (4.86), Berger places sixth (4.20) and Hall is eighth (4.03). Randall also was recognized on the all-defensive squad in 2002.

UW-Stout head coach Jill Jolliff was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches for the second time in her career. She also claimed the award during the 1994 season. Jolliff has guided the Blue Devils to the WIAC Tournament title and a 30-4 record this year. She has compiled a 260-148 record in her 12 seasons at the school.

2004 All-WIAC Women's Volleyball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)
Joanna Carlson, Platteville, Senior, Setter, Forreston, Ill.
Becca Carstensen, Eau Claire, Senior, Middle Hitter, Eau Claire (Memorial)
Andrea Coffman, Platteville, Senior, Middle Hitter, German Valley, Ill. (Forreston)
Tanille Hartwig, Stout, Senior, Middle Hitter, Athens
Erin Heger, Stout, Senior, Setter, Chaska, Minn.
Jamie Konrath, Whitewater, Junior, Outside Hitter, Richfield (Hartland Union)
Amber Petersen, Oshkosh, Senior, Middle Blocker, Milwaukee (Nicolet)
Nina Petersen, River Falls, Senior, Outside Hitter, Byron, Minn.
Michelle Stanislawski, Whitewater, Senior, Setter, Milwaukee (Thomas More)
Cassie Uttech, Whitewater, Senior, Outside Hitter, Watertown
Brooke Viegut, Stout, Senior, Outside Hitter, Abbotsford
Laura Wagner, La Crosse, Senior, Middle Hitter, West Bend (West)

Honorable Mention
Dana Alf, Platteville, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Eleva (Eleva-Strum)
Tanya Foldy, La Crosse, Junior, Setter, Muskego
Kim Fruit, Whitewater, Senior, Outside Hitter, Richland Center
Andrea Geehan, River Falls, Sophomore, Middle Hitter, St. Paul, Minn. (Como Park)
Lindsey Johnson, La Crosse, Senior, Outside Hitter, Osceola
Kathryn Krtnick, River Falls, Sophomore, Setter, Fridley, Minn.
Shelly Maus, Stevens Point, Freshman, Middle Blocker, Green Bay (Southwest)
Leah Rosenbaum, Oshkosh, Freshman, Middle Blocker, Wrightstown
Katie Thompson, River Falls, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Forest Lake, Minn.
Jenny Wolter, Eau Claire, Junior, Outside Hitter, Osceola

All-Defensive Team
Shanna Berger, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Libero, Baldwin (Baldwin-Woodville)
Miranda Hall, Platteville, Junior, Libero, Brooklyn (Evansville)
Lori Marten, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Libero, Pittsville
Jenny Randall, La Crosse, Junior, Libero, White Bear Lake, Minn.

Player of the Year: Laura Wagner of La Crosse
Coach of the Year: Jill Jolliff of Stout
Judy Kruckman Co-Scholar-Athletes: Becca Carstensen of Eau Claire and Nina Petersen of River Falls

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