Columbia College Racks Up Post-Season Honors

Columbia, Mo. - The Columbia College women's volleyball team ran away with the American Midwest Conference (AMC) regular-season championship and the post-season tournament. The Cougars finished off the regular-season with a perfect 6-0 record in league play and wrapped up the AMC tournament championship on Saturday night with a win over McKendree College. It seemed only fitting for the Cougars, ranked #1 in the NAIA and undefeated on the season, to collect their fair share of AMC post-season honors.

In a vote by league coaches, Yang Zhe, a setter for the Cougars, has been unanimously chosen as the AMC Most Valuable Player. The 5-11 senior from Liao Yang, China totaled 1,139 assists in the regular-season, averaging a league high 11.28 a game. In addition, she led her team in service aces, totaling 54 in the regular-season.

Deng Yang, a 6-1 outside hitter for the Cougars, is the 1998 AMC Freshman of the Year. Yang, a native of Chang Zhou, China, led Columbia in hitting percentage, digs per game and passes per game in regular-season play. She also ranked second on the team in blocks per game, with 1.16 and kills per game, with 2.81.

The AMC Newcomer of the Year honor is bestowed upon the top transfer-student in the AMC. Mariuska Hamilton, a 6-0 middle hitter for Columbia College, is the 1998 recipient of this award. Hamilton, who hails from Edo Bolivar, Venezuela, served as force on Columbia's frontline this season, turning in 265 kills and 111 blocks in regular-season play. Defensively, Hamilton averaged 3.34 digs per game and 3.11 passes per game, while committing only 11 passing errors in the regular-season.

The AMC Coach of the Year is Evelyn Bean from McKendree College. Bean, in her second season as head coach at McKendree, led the Bearcats to a regular-season record of 28-8 and a second place finish in AMC regular-season play behind Columbia College.

A complete list of the 12-member AMC All-Conference team, the Honorable Mention squad and the Academic All-Conference team, are listed on the following pages. Members of the Academic All-Conference team have earned at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Hannibal-LaGrange College
Lisa Schwartz, Stacey Ticknor, Jannell Carter

Harris-Stowe State College
Karen Allen

McKendree College
Renee Baughman, Athena Garden, Stephanie Burke, Gina Heinen, Christy Diekemper, Robyn Parks, Kelly Suess, Michelle Roever, Sarah Humphrey, Deanna Cole

Missouri Baptist College
Jill Czapla, Julie Mueller, Michelle Sievers, Jodi Dierker

Park College
Stacy Olczyk, RoShanda Cayette, Janessa Ikeda

William Woods University
Katie Miles, Karyn Peterson, Angie Politte, Tara Thomure, Betsy Cast