Horizon League players honored on AVCA All-Midwest Region volleyball team

Dec. 7, 2006

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Indianapolis, Ind. -- The Horizon League was well represented when the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced the 2006 All-Region teams, Wednesday, Dec. 6.  The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee placed Leanne Felsing and Cheryl Hegemann joined University of Illinois at Chicago standout Ambria Springer on the Midwest Region team.  University of Wisconsin-Green Bay setter Betty Slinger received Honorable Mention for the Midwest Region as well.

Senior middle blocker Hegemann was named the League's Player of the Year after propelling the Panthers to a regular-season League title, and subsequently helped UW-Milwaukee claim the Horizon League Championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.  She led UW-Milwaukee in kills and blocks during the regular season and was also named the League's Offensive Player of the Week twice.  Hegemann is ranked in the top 10 in five Horizon League statistical categories for the season and is now UW-Milwaukee's all-time blocks leader. Hegemann stands at second in the League in points per game with an average of 4.58 and is ranked third in the circuit in kills with 3.61 per game.  The senior also averaged 1.10 blocks per game to complete her outstanding play at the net.

Junior setter Felsing earned all-region recognition thanks to her strong overall play. An all-Horizon League honoree, she ranks among UWM's all-time top 10 in digs, assists and aces and in the top 15 in kills.  The highlight of her season came Oct. 20 at Cleveland State University, when she collected 12 kills, 20 digs and 24 assists for the seventh triple-double of her career.  She earned College Volleyball Update's National Player of the Week after that performance.  Earlier in the season, Felsing was named the Most Valuable Player of the Bama Bash and was a two-time Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week honoree.  In addition to her triple-double, she had 18 double-doubles this season.

Senior middle blocker Springer was also named to the All Horizon-League team after a strong season.  Springer led the League in kills per game with 3.84 and also ranked second in the circuit by averaging 1.24 blocks per game.  She also topped the League points-per-game charts, finishing with 4.92.

Junior setter Slinger enjoyed an amazing season as her 11 triple-doubles led NCAA Division I.  She notched seven of those performances in Horizon League play on her way to earning her second consecutive All-League nod.  Slinger led the Phoenix with an average of 9.12 assists per game, was second on the team with a .202 hitting percentage, third with a norm of 2.65 digs per game and fourth with 2.33 kills per game. 

The rest of the Midwest Region team includes Marshall University junior outside hitter Kelly-Anne Billingy, Jacksonville State University teammates in junior outside hitter Abbey Breit and senior setter Emily Withers, University of Alabama-Birmingham sophomore outside hitter Ivana Bozic, University of Memphis teammates in junior middle blocker Shelby Burton and sophomore setter Laura Cote, Murray State University sophomore libero Heather Norris, Tulane University sophomore outside hitter Sara Radosevic and the University of Tulsa junior setter Julia Silva.

Joining Slinger as All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention recipients are senior libero Christen Clayton from Memphis, junior opposite Fernanda Domingos of UAB, junior outside hitter Rachel Giubilato from Southern Methodist University, Murray State senior middle blocker Katie Kemezys and Tulane freshman outside hitter Ksenija Vlaskovic.

Note: A complete listing of the 2006 AVCA All-Region Teams can be found in the PDF version of this release