CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR DECEMBER 19, 2013
Amber Warners Named AVCA Division III National Coach of the Year;
Megan Rietema Named Division III Volleyball Nominee for CWSA Honda Athlete of the Year Award
Women's Basketball Falls at Illinois Wesleyan
VOLLEYBALL
(Release by the AVCA Office)
SEATTLE, Wash. (December 19, 2013) - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to announce that Calvin College Head Women's Volleyball Coach Amber Warners has been selected as the 2013 AVCA Division III National Coach of the Year.
In her 12th year as head coach, the Calvin graduate has maintained her outstanding record, leading her team to another remarkable run in their tenth consecutive NCAA Tournament. With an astounding record of 35-1, the Knights ended the season as the top-ranked team in the AVCA Division III Coaches Top-25 Final Poll.
In their second consecutive NCAA Championship match appearance, the team managed to overcome a two-set deficit against Cal Lutheran to win their second national title in four years. After falling to the University of St. Thomas in the national championship match in a similar situation in 2012, they were determined to have a different outcome this year. The team did not get to this match easily, having to defeat two AVCA Top-25 teams in high-intensity five-set matches in the semi and quarterfinals.
Warners career at Calvin boasts an impressive resume. This is the third time Warners has received the honor of being selected the AVCA Coach of the Year, winning in 2010 and 2012. With a career win-loss record of 384-72, Warners is ranked second among active NCAA Division III coaches for winning percentage; her record at Calvin is an impressive 363-61 over her twelve years there. She is also one of three coaches in Calvin's history to win more than one national championship.
The four-time Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year has produced the past three AVCA Division III National Players of the Year, with setter Megan Rietema earning the 2013 award. Sophomore outside Maggie Kamp was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and was one of four Knights to earn AVCA All-American honors.
The AVCA formally presented their awards at the 2013 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Seattle, Washington earlier today. The luncheon was held in conjunction with the 2013 AVCA Annual Convention.
MORE VOLLEYBALL
Megan Rietema, a senior from Calvin College, was named the 2014 DIII Woman of the Year nominee for volleyball as announced by Executive Director Chris Voelz of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda.
She is now designated one of 11 finalists for the prestigious DIII Woman Athlete of the Year honor. This will be voted on at the end of the academic year by national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of THE CWSA program, now in its 38th year.
Rietema, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III National Player of the Year and led Calvin to the 2013 NCAA DIII Championship title. She was also a member of the program's first Championship squad in 2010. The four-year starter is a three-time first-team AVCA All-American.
An exceptional setter, she is also a threat on both offense and defense after averaging 9.76 assists, 1.90 kills, 2.67 digs and 0.65 blocks per set on the season. This season she was also tabbed the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's (MIAA) Most Valuable Player and earned All-MIAA first-team honors for the fourth year in a row.
"I am very humbled by this nomination, " stated Rietema. "I've never played the game for awards. I've played the game for my team and this type of honor is just a reflection on my teammates who have helped me along the way. Coach Warners has also been a huge blessing to me. As a former Calvin volleyball setter herself, she has helped me so much in becoming the player and person that I am today. She has been a true role model to me."
"It is an incredible honor for Megan to receive this nomination," said head coach Amber Warners. "She has worked extremely hard throughout her career, particularly this year when she led our team to its second national championship. She was the heart-and-soul of our team and it was fitting that she scored the final point in the national championship final this year. She will go down as one of the greatest players to ever wear a Calvin volleyball uniform."
All sports nominees from DIII and DII become a finalist for the prestigious 2014 CWSA Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year in their respective divisions, presented in June. The sports nominees are recognized in 11 DIII and DII NCAA-sanctioned sports; cross country, basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer,softball, swimming & diving, tennis, volleyball, and track & field.
The Collegiate Women Sports Awards has honored the nation's top NCAA women athletes for 37 years, recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $2.7 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women's athletics programs at the institutions.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Illinois Wesleyan 103, Calvin 81
BLOOMINGTON, IL - The Calvin women's basketball team ran into a team that could match its up-tempo attack and then some. On Thursday night, Calvin suffered a 103-81 defeat to Illinois Wesleyan University.
The host Titans were able to pierce Calvin's full-court pressure throughout the game for high percentage shots and followed up with a full-court pressure defense of their own that forced the Knights into a season-high 25 turnovers.
Calvin kept pace with Illinois Wesleyan early, trailing 21-15 through seven minutes of play. Then the Titans cranked things into high gear, outscoring the Knights 18-7 over the next eight minutes - en route to taking a 54-37 halftime lead.
Calvin (5-3) was never closer than 17 points in the second half as Illinois Wesleyan (5-4) pulled away for the win.
Calvin had five players notch double-digits in scoring led by juniors Hannah Acre (DeWitt/DeWitt HS) and Kayla Engelhard (Unionville/Saginaw Valley Lutheran HS) with 13 points apiece. Freshman Anna Timmer (Caledonia/South Christian HS) tossed in a career-high 12 points off the bench while sophomore Kally Verkaik (Holland/Holland Christian HS) also had a career-high 11 points in a reserve role. Junior Breanna Verkaik (Holland/Holland Christian HS) also had 10 points for the Knights.
Illinois Wesleyan had five players notch double-digits in scoring led by Katy Seibring and Colleen McMahon with 25 points apiece.
Calvin returns to action on Friday when it travels to Chicago to take on Illinois Institute of Technology. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. (EST).
Received on Thu Dec 19 22:53:40 2013
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