Nov. 20, 2007

Contact: Greg Murphy

CLEVELAND, OH - After leading Cleveland State to its first ever Horizon League Tournament Championship over the weekend, senior setter Mel Snyder has been selected as the Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Week. The league office made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon.

Snyder, who carries a 3.81 grade point average as a middle childhood education major, played a major role in helping the Vikings win the league tournament and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament as she averaged 13.73 assists, 1.45 kills, and 2.18 digs per game in three CSU wins. The Amherst, Ohio native also directed the Vikings to a .278 hitting percentage.

"This is a great honor for Mel," head coach Chuck Voss said. "Her ability to lead on the court is a big reason we have been so successful this season. She came so close to being part of a league championship team as a freshman and one of her main goals has been to win the league title and advance to the NCAA Tournament."

In a quarterfinal sweep of Youngstown State on Friday, Nov. 16, Snyder produced 45 assists, six digs, and five kills, while guiding the Vikings to a .320 hitting percentage. She came back in a 3-1 semifinal win over Wright State (Nov. 17) to post 58 assists and 10 digs, while adding 48 assists, eight digs, and eight kills in the championship match against Valparaiso on Sunday, Nov. 18.

Snyder, a first team All-Horizon League selection the last two seasons, ranks third in all-time assists at CSU with 4,047 and fifth with 132 service aces. In addition, her 1,440 assists this season are a single-season school record.

The Vikings are out of action until the NCAA Tournament begins next week. Pairings for the first two rounds will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 25, at 8:00 p.m. on ESPNU with CSU's first round match slated to be played on either Nov. 29 or 30.