Eastern Michigan Athletics
Three Eagle Spikers Earn All-MAC Honors
11/17/2005 5:50:00 PM | Volleyball
Melissa Bartlett, Lindsay Piccolini and Kate Sulewski honored by the league
Highlighting the first team was Eastern Michigan’s Lindsay Piccolini. The junior middle blocker has been the offensive catalyst for the Eagles all season long, leading the program to its first-ever MAC West Division championship. Piccolini ended the regular season second in the MAC in hitting percentage (.368), second overall in blocks (1.52); fifth in points (4.81 points per game), and sixth in kills (346). In conference only tilts, Piccolini is the league leader in hitting percentage (.407) and blocks per game (1.67). Piccolini was named MAC West Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 24.
EMU sophomore setter Kate Sulewski earned her first career All-MAC honor by claiming first-team accolades. The Ottawa Lake, Mich. native currently ranks second in the MAC in assists, compiling 1,240 total sets for an average of 13.93 assists per game. Sulewski directed the EMU offense to a a league-second best .243 hitting percentage, including a .262 mark in conference games only. Kate is the younger sister of Western Michigan setter Jenifer Sulewski, who earned second-team All-MAC honors after ranking directly behind Kate in assists with 12.59 per game.
Joining Jenifer Sulewski on the All-MAC second-team are Ohio junior setter Savanah Parra, Ball State junior libero Amanda McCormick, Bobcat sophomore outside hitter Melissa Griffin, Northern Illinois junior middle blocker Kate McCullagh and Toledo’s senior middle blocker Kelsey Culver. McCullagh and Griffin were both Honorable Mention selections last season. McCormick was named the National Player Of The Week by Collegiate Volleyball Update on Nov. 8.
Capturing All-MAC Honorable Mention honors are Eastern Michigan sophomore outside hitter Melissa Bartlett; Miami sophomores Carli Reihman and Kate Norris; Kent State senior Danielle Holt; Ohio senior outside hitter Holly Schetzsle, and Ball State outside attacker Sarah Obras.
Bartlett has played in 90 of the team’s 94 games, recording double-digits kills in 18 matches. Bartlett is averaging 3.51 kills, 3.39 digs and 3.39 points per game and has the fourth most points on the team with 351. Against Akron (Oct. 28), Bartlett chalked up a career-high 25 kills along with 20 digs, one block assist, one service ace and a .468 attack percentage for a total of 26.5 points. In the three-set sweep of Buffalo (10-28), she posted a game-high 16 kills, while recording 10 digs, two block assists and a service ace for a total of 18.0 points. Bartlett collected a career-high 27 digs in a four set victory at Bowling Green (Oct. 15) and set a new personal best with four total blocks against regionally ranked IPFW (Oct. 18).
Player of the Year honors went to Ohio’s Julia Winkfield. The senior is garnered first-team honors for the second consecutive season. Winkfield finished the regular season with the best hitting percentage (.405) in the MAC, and was also among the league leaders in kills (3.83 kills per game; 8th in MAC) and points (4.47 points per game; 9th in MAC).
Comprising the All-Freshman Team are Andersen, Miami hitters Emily Schroeder and Alex Ratcliff, Bowling Green’s Kendra Halm, Kent State outside hitter Ashley Feutz, and Northern Illinois setter Jenny Dziubla.
Eastern Michigan is 21-5 (14-2 MAC) on the season and will next be in action Friday, Nov. 18, when tangles with Bowling Green in the quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament at the SeaGate Center in Toledo, Ohio. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m.
FIRST-TEAM
Lindsay Piccolini, Junior, MB, Eastern Michigan
Kate Sulewski, So., S, Eastern Michigan
Julia Winkfield, Senior, MB, Ohio
Shaylen Jackson, Senior, MB, Western Michigan
Stephanie Blackburn, So., OH, Ohio
Rachel Refenes, Sr., MA, Ball State
SECOND-TEAM
Savanah Parra, Jr., S, Ohio
Amanda McCormick, Jr., Libero, Ball State
Melissa Griffin, So., RS, Ohio
Jen Sulewski, Jr., S, Western Michigan
Kate McCullagh, Jr., MB, Northern Illinois
Kelsey Culver, Sr., MB, Toledo
HONORABLE MENTION
Melissa Bartlett, So., OH, Eastern Michigan
Carli Reihman, So., MH, Miami
Danielle Holt, Sr., OH, Kent State
Holly Schetzsle, Sr., OH, Ohio
Kate Norris, So., RS, Miami
Sarah Obras, Sr., OA, Ball State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Amanda Anderson, MB, Ohio
Emily Schroeder, MH/LS, Miami
Kendra Halm, M, Bowling Green
Ashley Feutz, RS, Kent State
Alex Ratcliff, LS, Miami
Jenny Dziubla, S, Northern Illinois
2005 Player Of The Year: Julia Winkfield, Sr., MH, Ohio
2005 Freshman Of The Year: Amanda Anderson, MB, Ohio
FIRST-TEAM
Lindsay Piccolini, Junior, MB, Eastern Michigan
Kate Sulewski, So., S, Eastern Michigan
Julia Winkfield, Senior, MB, Ohio
Shaylen Jackson, Senior, MB, Western Michigan
Stephanie Blackburn, So., OH, Ohio
Rachel Refenes, Sr., MA, Ball State
SECOND-TEAM
Savanah Parra, Jr., S, Ohio
Amanda McCormick, Jr., Libero, Ball State
Melissa Griffin, So., RS, Ohio
Jen Sulewski, Jr., S, Western Michigan
Kate McCullagh, Jr., MB, Northern Illinois
Kelsey Culver, Sr., MB, Toledo
HONORABLE MENTION
Melissa Bartlett, So., OH, Eastern Michigan
Carli Reihman, So., MH, Miami
Danielle Holt, Sr., OH, Kent State
Holly Schetzsle, Sr., OH, Ohio
Kate Norris, So., RS, Miami
Sarah Obras, Sr., OA, Ball State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Amanda Anderson, MB, Ohio
Emily Schroeder, MH/LS, Miami
Kendra Halm, M, Bowling Green
Ashley Feutz, RS, Kent State
Alex Ratcliff, LS, Miami
Jenny Dziubla, S, Northern Illinois
2005 Player Of The Year: Julia Winkfield, Sr., MH, Ohio
2005 Freshman Of The Year: Amanda Anderson, MB, Ohio
