Empire 8 Announces Volleyball All-Conference Team
October 30, 2008
ROCHESTER, NY – The Empire 8 announced its 2008 Volleyball All-Conference team with senior outside hitter Melanie Volk of Stevens Institute of Technology being named 2008 Empire 8 Player of the Year.
A second-team all-conference selection last season, Volk led the Ducks to their second consecutive undefeated conference regular season and top seed in the Empire 8 Volleyball Championship. Volk averaged 3.5 kills and 3.3 digs per set, while recording a .285 hitting percentage in Empire 8 round robin play.
Joining Volk on the first team from Stevens was sophomore outside hitter Sarah Byrne, who hit .300 in conference play, averaging 3.2 kills per set as well as 3.2 digs per set.
The only repeat selection on the all-conference first team was junior setter Kate Zwickl of Nazareth College, which is seeded second in the postseason tournament. She led all Empire 8 players with 302 assists (10.4 per set) in earning the honor for the second time. Zwickl added nearly two digs per game was among the leaders in service aces.
Junior middle blocker Katelynn Reed of the Golden Flyers joined Zwickl on the first team after hitting .532 in conference play (2.5 kills per game).
Senior outside hitter Alyssa Ziobrowski of third-seeded St. John Fisher College, a former Rookie of the Year and second-team honoree, was named to the first team for the first time in her career. She averaged 2.5 kills and 3.5 digs in leading the Cardinals to a 6-2 record.
Junior middle blocker Victoria Petko of fourth-place Rochester Institute of Technology, a second-team all-conference performer last season, gained first-team honors this season after leading all Empire 8 players with 143 kills (4.5 per game), hitting .253 and averaging nearly one block per set.
Junior libero Mallorie Clary of Nazareth was chosen as the Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year after averging 5.6 digs per set in Empire 8 round robin play. First-year teammate Audrey Zimmerman earned Empire 8 Rookie of the Year recognition. The outside hitter totaled 60 kills (2.6 per set), 26 assists, 24 digs, and 16 blocks.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2008 Volleyball Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Empire 8 2008 Volleyball All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Melanie Volk, Stevens Institute of Technology
Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year: Mallorie Clary, Nazareth College
Rookie of the Year: Audrey Zimmerman, Nazareth College