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Arslanbekova, Rucker and Welch Named to AVCA All-Northeast Region
Dec. 4, 2012
The University of Louisville volleyball players Lola Arslanbekova, Gwen Rucker and Caitlin Welch were named to the AVCA All-Northeast Region team making them all eligible for All-America honors. Arslanbekova was a second team All-America honoree in 2011 and is the only four-time honoree in the region. Arslanbekova was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year for the second straight season. The native of Tashkent, Uzbekistan became the first back-to-back Player of the Year since 1996-97 and the first four-time BIG EAST First Team selection since 2006-09. She is the all-time career kill leader with 2,149 and was the only active player with 2,000-plus kills and 1,000 plus digs. This year she was honored as BIG EAST Player of the Week five times and was named to the All-Tournament team at the conclusion of all five tournaments. In addition she was named MVP of the Cardinal Classic, the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge and the Louisville Invitational and led the team with 599 kills (4.93/set) . She was second on the team with 385 digs (3.17/set) and notched 21 double-doubles on the season and had 14 matches with at least 20 kills.
Lexington, Ky. Native Gwen Rucker was named CVU.com National Player of the Week on Nov. 20 and was the 2012 MVP of the BIG EAST Championship. She was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team and the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team and was a two-time member of the \ U.S. Women's National A2 Team. She earned Cardinal Classic All- Tournament honors. She led the team with 141 blocks (1.33/set) and a .426 hitting percentage, both of which rank nationally. Second on the team with 282 kills (2.65/set) she is tied for fourth on the team with 17 aces with one double-double. Named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Oct. 15 and Oct. 29, she set a BIG EAST Record with a .867 hitting percentage against St. John's in the BIG EAST Championship and had a career-best six digs against Marquette in the championship match.
Welch, a native Louisvillian, was named to the All-BIG EAST Tournament Team and All-BIG EAST Second Team. She is the all time career dig leader with 1,604 and notched her 1,000th career dig against Western Kentucky in season-opener, moving on as the program leader in digs against Cincinnati on Nov. 11. She led the team with 628 digs (5.19/set) which is a school single season record. She was named to the all-tournament team at the conclusion of the Active Ankle Challenge and the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge. She had 14 matches with at least 20 digs this season and set a career-high with 37 digs against Texas. All three are now eligible for AVCA All-America honors, which will be announced at the NCAA National Championship here in Louisville, Ky., next week. Northeast Region Name School Position Year Toni Alugbue University of Notre Dame OH SO Lola Arslanbekova **** University of Louisville OH SR Megan Campbell** University of Dayton MB JR Danielle Carlson** Marquette University MB SR Jeni Houson University of Notre Dame RS SO Elizabeth Koberstein Marquette University S JR Rachel Krabacher** University of Dayton OH SR Holly Mertens Marquette University RS SR Kendall Polan** Yale University S/H JR Gwen Rucker ** University of Louisville MB SR Martina Samadan Virginia Commonwealth MB FR Jordanne Scott** University of Cincinnati OH SR Samantha Selsky** University of Dayton S SR Caitlin Welch University of Louisville L/DS JR |
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