Nov. 8, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Gulf South Conference announced the 2007 All-Conference selection for volleyball, just one day prior to the Conference tournament, in Searcy, Arkansas. West Florida Head Coach Melissa Wolter was selected as the East Division Coach of the year, while Junior Right Side hitter Luciana Rapach was the East Division Player of the year.

Wolter earned this season's Coach of the Year Award, by leading her team to a 30-5 record in 2007, while going a perfect 12-0 in Gulf South Conference league action. West Florida is the league's only ranked team, and sports the highest winning percentage (.857) in the conference.

This was the first coach of the year, and player of the year for UWF Volleyball. The team has set records for overall wins (30) and conference wins (12) so far this season. Coach Wolter has had her team ranked in the top 25 for most of the season.

Coach Wolter felt that Rapach is often an underrated player, and was happy with her honor. "I am very excited that Luciana was honored by the coaches in the conference. She is extremely deserving, because she is a very selfless player, who gives 100% all of the time." The Junior from Porto Alegre, Brazil, has been a complete player, performing all over the court for West Florida this year. She is in the top three on her team in several categories, including digs (355), assists (142) and hitting percentage (.309).

Rapach is the first UWF player to win the player of the year in school history. She is a three time winner of the defensive player of the week in the Gulf South Conference, despite being third on the team in kills, and second on the team in assists. Likely the most versatile player in the league, Rapach is a great defensive player, and also an offensive threat at any time. She has the only triple double on the season, and just missed a second. Against she recorded 13 kills, 15 assists, and 22 digs against Eckerd College, and against Montevallo she had 9 kills, 10 assists, and 9 nine digs.

Junior Setter Madeline Gonzalez (Puerto Rico) and Senior Outside Hitter Isabela Gualberto (Brazil) were selected to the All-Conference 1st team, while Junior Outside Hitter Kimberly Clark (St. Petersburg, Fla.) was selected to the 2nd team All-Conference. "Madi (Gonzalez), Bela (Gualberto), and Kim (Clark) are very deserving, and they are hugh reasons for our success." stated coach Wolter.

Setter Madeline Gonzalez has shattered the single season assists record for UWF, with 1,356 so far this season. Gonzalez won the offensive player of the week twice during the regular season, and was the MVP of the Nanook Classic Tournament in Alaska, as UWF swept four matches in the tournament.

Isabela Gualberto is currently hitting .305, and leads the team in kills with 412. She was the MVP of the Comfort Inn-vitational tournament earlier this season, when she recorded 59 kills in the four matches, and hit .421 for the tournament. She earned the offensive player of the week award for October 2nd, when she had 41 kills in three matches, including 20 against North Alabama.

Kimberly Clark has the unique honor of being selected once as the offensive player of the week, and once as the defensive player of the week. Against 11th ranked Pittsburg State earlier this year, she had more kills (11) than the entire Pittsburg team (10), in the third and final game of the match. Clark is second on the team with 345 kills, and third on the team with 317 digs and 57 blocks.

2007 ALL-GSC VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM EAST DIVISION: Libero,Jessica Hansen (UNA) Jr., Council Bluff, Iowa; Outside Hitter,Danielle Palasak (UNA) Sr., Garden City, Mich; Middle Blocker,Whitney Sanders (UNA) Jr., Haleyville, Ala; Outside Hitter,Allison Nail (UWA) Jr., Cullman, Ala; SetterMadeline Gonzalez (UWF) Jr., Bayamon, Puerto Rico; Outside HitterIsabela Gualberto (UWF) Sr., Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Right Side HitterLuciana Rapach (UWF) Jr., Porto Alegre, Brazil; Outside Hitter,Andressa Martins (UWG) So., Olinda, Brazil

East Division Freshman of the Year-- Jordan McDonald, West Georgia; East Division Player of the Year--Luciana Rapach, West Florida; East Division Coach of the Year--Melissa Wolter, West Florida