Erin Clark Nets SSC’s Highest Volleyball Award
ORLANDO, Fla. - On the verge of beginning NCAA tournament play, University of Tampa volleyball player Erin Clark was named by the Sunshine State Conference as its Player of the Year. She becomes the third consecutive Spartan to win the award, and the sixth in program history.
Clark was joined on the first-team by teammates Katelen Dixon, Alisha Green and Margeaux Sinibaldi as Gabriela Saade earned second-team honors. Freshman Melissa Vanderhall was chosen as a member of the all-freshman team.
A senior middle hitter, Clark had a stellar campaign for the defending national champion Spartans, averaging 3.99 kills per game, while hitting at an impressive .471 percentage. The Tampa native ranks first in the SSC in attack percentage and fourth in kills per game. Clark's average of 0.41 service aces per game ranks sixth among SSC players. A five-time SSC Offensive Player of the Week honoree, Clark also averaged 0.85 digs, 0.59 blocks, and 0.21 assists per frame.
This marks the second first-team all-SSC selection for Clark and Dixon, and the third for Sinibaldi. A second-team selection as a freshman, Sinibaldi is the lone Spartan to be a four-time all-SSC selection while setting new SSC and UT records in career digs.
Green, UT's leading blocker, joins the first team after being on the second team as a freshman. As the team's leading setter, Saade makes her first appearance on the all-SSC team, though she was a member of the all-freshman team in 2005.
2007 ALL-SUNSHINE STATE CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM
MB - Lydee Benoit, Eckerd, Sophomore
MB - Erin Clark, Tampa, Senior
OH - Katelen Dixon, Tampa, Senior
MB - Alisha Green, Tampa, Sophomore
S - Michelle Nogueras, Saint Leo, Sophomore
OH - Camilla Pagnan, Barry, Junior
DS - Margeaux Sinibaldi, Tampa, Senior
Pl ayer of the Year - Erin Clark, Tampa
Coach of the Year - Steve Wilcosky, Nova Southeastern
Freshman of the Year - Kaitlin McKenna, Saint Leo
SECOND TEAM
MB - Melinda Gorman, Nova Southeastern, Junior
OH - Camila Lins, Lynn, Junior
OPP - Ashley Martin, Florida Southern, Junior
MB - Daris Rodriguez, Lynn, Junior
S - Gabriela Saade, Tampa, Junior
OH - Beverly Stasis, Florida Southern, Senior
DS - Lauren Evans, Barry, Junior
HONORABLE MENTION
MB - Keisha Carter, Eckerd, Junior
MB - Kaitlin McKenna, Saint Leo, Freshman
S - Valia Petrova, Nova Southeastern, Junior
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
S - Elise Burke, Florida Southern
MB - Kaitlin McKenna, Saint Leo
OH/L - Lacy Redwine, Lynn
MH - Stefanie Sveiven, Barry
OH - Melissa Vanderhall, Tampa
S - Devon Woolard, Lynn