Volleyball's Postseason Awards Announced
2/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Volleyball's Postseason Awards Announced
2/1/2005
PITTSBURGH?Volleyball head coach Chris Beerman announced the team awards for the 2004 season after a second straight trip to the NCAA Championships and a fourth 20-win season in five years. All of the award winners' names will be put on a plaque for display in the Panthers' locker room.
Senior Megan Miller (Milford, Conn./Jonathan Law) earned the Hope and Walt Bielich Most Valuable Player Award after being named the Big East Conference Player of the Year and an Honorable Mention All-American. Miller hit .374 despite missing five games towards the end of the season due to injury.
Miller had 410 kills and was also among the team leaders in blocks, finishing second with 78 in 91 games. She finished her career as the school's all-time leader in hitting percentage (.363) and among the top 10 in kills (fifth - 1,239), attempts (eighth - 2,560), block solos (second - 92), block assists (eighth - 198) and total blocks (sixth - 290).
Miller was also the winner of the Leadership Award for her tenacious style of play and vocal leadership on and off the court.
The Panthers had co-winners of the Academic Award and they were seniors Abby Fechhelm (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) and Lindsey Macke (Ft. Thomas, Ky./Notre Dame Academy). Fechhelm played in 27 matches and started 12 for the Panthers in 2004, finishing with a .247 hitting percentage and a career-best 108 kills. She is a movement science major.
Macke played in every match for Pittsburgh and made five starts at the setter position. She ranked second on the team in assists (255) and in service aces (22) and posted at least 200 digs for the second consecutive season. Macke, a business marketing major, finished her career fifth in Panther annals in assists with 1,898 in her four years.
The winner of the Strength and Conditioning Award is junior Megan McGrane (Muncie, Ind./Delta). A 5-7 libero, McGrane, with a commitment in the weight room and in conditioning, became the school's all-time digs leader in 2004 with 1,803 in just three seasons. She also broke her own school record with 713 digs for the year and earned Honorable Mention All-Big East for the second straight season.
Pittsburgh finished second in the Big East Conference and won 21 matches, earning its first at-large berth to the NCAA Championships and its second straight appearance after winning the conference title in 2003.
