Feb. 15, 2007
IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa volleyball team has announced its team awards for the 2006 season. The awards were given out at the annual team banquet, which was held on February 10.
“We didn’t achieve the success we wanted in terms of Big Ten wins and losses, but this group of young women has begun to change the expectations of what will be Iowa volleyball in the future,” Iowa Head Coach Cindy Fredrick said. “Our seniors did a good job of being role models and starting to set higher standards for Iowa volleyball, as their awards indicated.”
Senior middle blocker Melanie Meister was named team MVP after a career season in which she recorded career highs in kills per game (2.65), attack percentage (.283), blocks per game (1.10) and digs per game (0.82). She was named Big Ten Player of the Week on September 18, and was named MVP of the College of Charleston Classic and the Hawkeye-Holiday Inn Challenge. Meister also won the team’s strength training award for the second-straight year, and has been nominated as a Strength Training All-American.
Senior Jen Barcus was named the team’s Best Offensive Player, recording 2.64 kills per game and a .276 attack percentage. She set an Iowa record at the Creighton Tournament with a .636 attack percentage in a five-game match against North Dakota State.
Senior Tiana Costanzo was named Best Defensive Player after recording 2.80 digs per game.
Freshman Megan Schipper was awarded the Most Improved and Coach’s Awards, while Laura Kremer won the Hawkeye Inspirational Award for the second-consecutive year.
Meister and Kiley Fister were both awarded the Academic Award after earning perfect 4.0 grade point averages.