Nov. 15, 2007

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - First year head coach Josh Steinbach picked up the BIG EAST Coach of the Year at the annual BIG EAST Women's Volleyball Banquet. Senior's Alona Cherkez and Kacy Sellers were also honored as All-BIG EAST First Team selections.

The Coach of the Year win is the first time since 1995 that a Villanova volleyball coach has picked up the award. Coach Steinbach has guided the Wildcats to an impressive third place regular season finish in his first ever head coaching job. Villanova was picked to finish 10th in the conference in the pre-season coach's poll.

According to Steinbach, none of this success could come without the tremendous amount of help from assistant coaches Darcy Thompson and Kate Woffindin along with four-year team manager Katy Franta and athletic trainer Lesley King.

The two first team selections marks only the third time in team-history that the Wildcats have had two members named to the first team All-Conference list. It is also the first time since 1996 that VU has had two members on the All-Conference team first through third.

This is the second selection to All-Conference for senior Kacy Sellers as she was named to the second team in 2005.

The Wildcats open up the 2007 postseason tomorrow, November 15th as they take on USF at 6 p.m.