UW-Green Bay's Soulis and Borseth, Cleveland State's Klein Honored with Horizon League's Specialty Awards

March 5, 2007

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INDIANAPOLIS -- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay senior forward Nicole Soulis picked up Player of the Year honors for the second-consecutive season, while Phoenix head coach Kevin Borseth earned his seventh Coach of the Year award and Cleveland State University freshman guard Kailey Klein took home Newcomer of the Year accolades as the Horizon League office announced its women's basketball specialty awards and All-League teams on Monday (March 5).

Soulis, who becomes only the second player League history to win the award in back-to-back seasons, lived up to her billing as the Preseason Player of the Year for the second-straight season. She leads UW-Green Bay in scoring (17.0 points per game), rebounding (5.4 rebounds per game) and field-goal percentage (.562) and has scored 20 or more points in eight games with a season-high 32 points against Loyola University Chicago on Dec. 30. She has notched two double-doubles this season and ranks seventh on the circuit's rebounding charts, while leading the Phoenix to a 16-0 League mark.

Borseth earned his seventh Horizon League Coach of the Year honor after leading the Phoenix to a perfect 16-0 record in conference play. He guided UW-Green Bay to a 25-3 overall record and the team is currently riding a 22-game winning streak into the League Championship. Borseth, who also received the award in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, notched his 200th win at UWGB on Jan. 13 over in-state rival University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Phoenix went 3-0 against Big Ten competition this season with wins over the University of Minnesota (75-66), the University of Iowa (67-43) and the University of Wisconsin (70-66). Borseth's overall record at UWGB stands at 212-61, including a League-record 125 wins in conference play.

After averaging 4.0 points per game in non-League games, Klein picked up the pace and scored 16.3 points per game in 16 loop contests. In conference action, the 5-foot-11 guard ranked fourth in scoring, seventh in steals (1.56), eighth in rebounding (5.8) and minutes played (31.75) and tenth in free-throw percentage (.739). The Cherry, Ill., native also scored 20 or more points in seven games with a Viking-record 33 at the University of Detroit Mercy on Feb. 10. Klein is the first Cleveland State player to win the League's All-Newcomer award.

Joining Soulis on the First-Team All-League team are Jackie Closser (Butler University), LaShonda Grant (University of Illinois at Chicago), Natalie Berglin (UW-Green Bay) and Traci Edwards (UW-Milwaukee).

Closser, Edwards and Grant earned spots on the First Team after being named to the preseason team, while Berglin improved their billing from the preseason Second-Team.

Closser ranks seventh in the League at 13.9 points per game and has hit a three pointer in 56-straight games, the longest active streak in the NCAA. Grant helped the Flames set a school record with an 11-game winning streak. She is third in the loop in scoring (15.3) and steals (1.76 per game). Berglin, who has ranked among the nation's leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio all season, paces the circuit in assists (4.61 per contest). Edwards, the 2006 Newcomer of the Year, leads all players in points per game (20.3) and rebounding (9.4).

The Second Team features repeat selections Lade Akande (Butler) and Marquise Hanser (Loyola) along with Joyce Massey (Detroit), Jenna Real (Loyola) and Brittney Whiteside (Wright State University).

Klein headlines the All-Newcomer team that includes Susan Lester (Butler), Jessie Miller (UIC), Maggie McCloskey (Loyola) and Heather Karner (Youngstown State University).

The final All-League team announced on Monday was the All-Defensive team, which was voted on by the League's nine head coaches. In addition to being named the Player of the Year, UWGB's Soulis was selected for the All-Defensive team and was joined by Second-Team selection Whiteside. Cleveland State's Dominique Butler, UIC's Jackie Parker and UW-Green Bay's Kayla Groh round out the defensive squad.

The Horizon League Championship begins on Monday (March 5) when (#9 seed) Detroit (#8 seed) Loyola at 8 p.m. (Eastern time). The quarterfinal round will begin on Wednesday (Mar. 7) as (#1 seed) UW-Green Bay hosts the winner of Monday's game, (#7 seed) Cleveland State University travels to (#2 seed) University of Illinois at Chicago, (#6 seed) Youngstown State University visits (#3 seed) Butler University and (#4 seed) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee welcomes (#5 seed) Wright State University. All games will be played at 7 p.m. local time.

Player of the Year: Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay

Coach of the Year: Kevin Borseth, UW-Green Bay

Newcomer of the Year: Kailey Klein, Cleveland State

First-Team

Jackie Closser, Butler
LaShonda Grant, UIC
Natalie Berglin, UW-Green Bay
Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay
Traci Edwards, UW-Milwaukee

Second-Team

Lade Akande, Butler
Joyce Massey, Detroit
Marquise Hanser, Loyola
Jenna Real, Loyola
Brittney Whiteside, Wright State

All-Newcomer Team

Susan Lester, Butler
Kailey Klein, Cleveland State
Jessie Miller, UIC
Maggie McCloskey, Loyola
Heather Karner, Youngstown State

All-Defensive Team

Dominique Butler, Cleveland State
Jackie Parker, UIC
Kayla Groh, UW-Green Bay
Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay
Brittney Whiteside, Wright State