Seven C-USA Volleyball Players Named to 2004 AVCA All-Region Team

Julie DuPont

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA produced seven of the 12 women’s volleyball players that were named to the 2004 AVCA Midwest Region first team, as announced late Tuesday. Louisville’s Jennifer Hoffman, Bing Sun, Lena Ustymenko, and Ana Yartseva, Saint Louis' Aida Antanaviciute, Cincinnati’s Julie DuPont, and Memphis' Heather Watts were all named to the All-Region Team. By earning outright All-Region honors, all seven players are automatically eligible for AVCA All-America recognition, which will be announced later this month.

Cincinnati’s Rachel Torblaa and Marquette’s Sarah Vernon received All-Region honorable mention accolades.

Louisville, who captured the 2004 C-USA Tournament title and regular-season crown, led C-USA with four players named to the All-Region team. The Cardinals tabbed not only their 15th trip to the NCAA Tournament, but also their third appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. After posting wins over Illinois and Missouri in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tourney in Columbia, Mo., the Cardinals reached their best national ranking as they moved up to No. 15, and hold their longest match winning streak of 22 straight matches.

Ustymenko, who averages 4.07 kills per game this season and has posted 46 service aces in her 31 matches, leads the Cardinals. Ustymenko receives the All-Region award for the second time in her career, while teammate Sun earns her third regional accolade. Sun proved to be an important force against the Tigers in the second round of the NCAA tourney last weekend, as the Cardinal had 18 kills, 12 digs and four blocks to lead the University of Louisville to a 3-1 win over Missouri. Louisville’s Yartseva (.460) and Hoffman (.433), who rank first and second, respectively, on C-USA’s hitting percentage charts round out the regional awards for the Cards.

Saint Louis’ Antanaviciute, who set a single-season school record with her 655th kill of the season in the Billiken’s first round matchup against USF in the 2004 ChevronTexaco C-USA Tournament, receives her first All-Region honor. Antanaviciute passed the previous record of 654 set by Colleen Hunter in 2000. She is the first volleyball player in league history to be named Player of the Week four times in a single season.

Cincinnati’s DuPont captured her third All-Region honor after leading the Bearcats to a 22-11 overall finish. DuPont has been honored as an Academic All-American as well as a first team selection of the 2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team. DuPont was named 2004 C-USA Player of the Year, finishing second in the conference with 4.90 kills per game and ranking second in points (5.54 ppg). The senior was named to C-USA’s All-Decade Team, announced by the league office in conjunction with its 10th anniversary.

Memphis’ Watts is the first-ever Tiger to earn All-Region first team under Tiger head coach Carrie Yerty, as the senior notched honorable mention accolades last year. For the second consecutive season, Watts reset the Memphis and league single season assists record, posting 1,830 this season. She earned C-USA Setter of the Year honors and helped the Tigers to their second straight 25-win season.

Midwest Region First Team:
Aida Antanaviciute, Saint Louis, MB, Jr.
Areal Bienemy, Butler University, MB, Sr.**
Jamie Bouyer, Cleveland State University, MB, Sr.
Julie DuPont, University of Cincinnati, OH, Sr.***
Karen Fruit, UW-Milwaukee, OH, Sr.
Erica Gerth, Eastern Illinois University, OH, Sr.
Lauren Holbrook, Loyola University Chicago, S, Sr.**
Jennifer Hoffman, University of Louisville, MB, Jr.
Bing Sun, University of Louisville, RS/Opp, Sr.***
Lena Ustymenko, University of Louisville, OH, Jr.**
Heather Watts, University of Memphis, S/H, Sr.
Ana Yartseva, University of Louisville, MB, So.
* Denotes Number of Years Selected to AVCA Div. I All-Region Team

Midwest Region Freshman of the Year:
Maren Crabtree, Eastern Illinois, S

Midwest Honorable Mention:
Lesley Aldridge, Eastern Kentucky, OH, Sr.
Nichol Amberg, Loyola Chicago, OH, Sr.
Maren Crabtree, Eastern Illinois, S, Fr.
Brittany Nobilio, Eastern Kentucky, DS/Lib, Fr.
Rachel Torblaa, Cincinnati, MB, Sr.
Sarah Vernon, Marquette, S/H, Sr.