Volleyball Hauls in A-R-C Awards
Nov 1, 2018
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The University of Dubuque racked up American Rivers All-Conference honors as announced by the conference on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans swept the main awards with Kara Wright as the A-R-C MVP, Kate Messino as Freshman of the Year and April Elsbernd as Coach of the Year.
Kara Wright, the junior from Stockton, Illinois grabbed MVP honors after attacking her way through the A-R-C. Wright led the A-R-C with 387 total kills and was second with 3.79 kills per set. Wright was more than just a force on offense; on the defensive end she was 10th in the A-R-C with 369 digs at 3.62 per set. She also added 56 total kills, 11 solo and 45 block assists, good enough for second on the team.
Kate Messino (McHenry, Ill./Marian Catholic) led the American Rivers Conference with 1107 assists for 10.06 per set to earn A-R-C Freshman of the Year. Messino ended the regular season tied for third in the conference in service aces and led the Spartans with 36 and pitched in 339 digs.
Head Coach April Elsbernd led the Spartans to a 22-8 record and a second place regular season finish in the American Rivers Conference, the highest finish in conference play since 1999.
Senior Jenna Runde joined Messino and Wright on the All-Conference team. The libero from Elgin, Illinois led the A-R-C in digs by a wide margin in the regular season, coming up with 543 digs, the next closest person in the conference finished with 455. She also dished out a team high 40 service aces and 96 assists, the second most of all Spartans. This is the second straight year Runde has earned an All-Conference selection.
Rylee Andresen (Oxford Junction, Iowa/Midland) was the lone Spartan to grab honorable mention honors, earning her first all-conference recognition in her career. Andresen was a force at the net in 2018, recording 81 blocks, the fourth most in the conference. Of the 81 blocks, 34 were solo and 47 were assists for a set average of .84. On offense, she had the fourth best hitting percentage of anyone in the conference at .26. Andresen had 220 kills on 560 attempts with just 72 errors mixed in.
The full list of awards can be found below
The Spartans begin the postseason tonight (Thursday, Nov. 1) when they host Coe/Buena Vista in the A-R-C Tournament Semifinals.
Most Valuable Player - Kara Wright - University of Dubuque
Freshman of the Year - Kate Messino - University of Dubuque
Coach of the Year - April Elsbernd - University of Dubuque
All-Conference
Summer Goss - Buena Vista University
Lindsey Koch - Coe College
Elli Teeple - Coe College
Adysen Wintermote - Coe College
Paige Griffith - Loras College
Krystal Tranel - Loras College
Karissa Kime - Luther College
Emma Veum - Luther College
Kate Messino - University of Dubuque
Jenna Runde - University of Dubuque
Kara Wright - University of Dubuque
Kylie Bildstein - Wartburg College
Lizzy Blough - Wartburg College
Mallary Erbes - Wartburg College
Katie Foster - Wartburg College
Honorable Mention
Sydney McLaren - Buena Vista University
Kylie Roe - Buena Vista University
Krissa Larson - Central College
Kierra Harder - Nebraska Wesleyan University
Hannah Lester - Simpson College
Rylee Andresen - University of Dubuque
Jayme Willemssen -Wartburg College
