Nov. 16, 2006
FAIRBORN, Ohio - Cleveland State junior setter Mel Snyder and freshman opposite Beth Greulich were both named to the All-Horizon League Volleyball Team which was released on Thursday (Nov. 16) by the league office. Greulich was named Co-Newcomer of the Year in addition to being joined on the All-Newcomer squad by freshman outside hitter Liz Fazio.
"Mel has done a great job directing our offense all year long and Beth and Liz have stepped in as freshman in a pair of key positions and been outstanding," CSU head coach Chuck Voss said. "While our second-place finish was a true team effort, these three are very deserving of every honor they receive."
Snyder (Amherst, Ohio) led the league in assists (12.53), was fifth in aces (0.37) and 10th in hitting percentage (.265) while directing the Vikings to the second-best hitting percentage in the conference (.205). CSU's starting setter for the second year in a row, she set a school record with 75 assists in a five-game victory over Bowling Green on Sept. 8.
CSU's third co-newcomer selection in the last the last five years (Alisa Hatcher, 2002 & Jenni Ramminger, 2005), Greulich (Troy, Ohio) led the league in overall hitting percentage (.367) and was second in conference play (.315). Ranked among the nation's leaders the first two months of the season, she hit .300 or better in half of the Vikings' league contests and was named the league's offensive player of the week on Nov. 6.
Fazio (Akron, Ohio) emerged as one of the league's most consistent offensive threats in her first year, ranking third in league play in kills (3.69) and fifth in points (4.10). Named league's offensive player of the week on Aug. 28, she was the only Viking to be named to the all-tournament team at all three of CSU's early-season events.
Regular season champion UW-Milwaukee claimed the league's two top honors, with Cheryl Hegemann earning the player of the year nod, while Kathy Litzau garnered coach of the year honors. Loyola's Ann Deelo was the defensive player of the year, while Youngstown State's Ruth Boscaljon shared newcomer accolades with Greulich.
Having recently wrapped up the regular season, Cleveland State (18-8, 8-6 HL) enters the 2006 Horizon League Championship as the No. 3 seed and will face sixth-seeded Loyola on Friday (Nov. 17) at 11:30 a.m. The tournament runs through Nov. 19 on the Wright State campus.
