Grand Rapids, Mich. -- On the day the Madonna Crusaders claimed the 2007 WHAC volleyball tournament championship and the right to host the penultimate NAIA Region VIII tournament next weekend, 58 student-athletes were lauded for their accomplishments throughout the year.

Headlining the group is Madonna University junior Lubovj Tihomirova (Riga, Latvia) who was named the league’s Player of the Year by conference coaches.  The outside hitter was tops in the conference in kills while helping lead MU to their 11^th consecutive WHAC regular season championship.

Teammate Jacqui Gatt (Livonia, Mich.) earned Libero of the Year honors.  The Livonia Churchill high school product had an impressive 5.36 digs per game heading into the conference tournament, tops amongst league liberos.

University of Michigan-Dearborn senior Rene Laidler (Lincoln Park, Mich.) was named WHAC Setter of the Year for the second straight season after leading UMD to their best ever conference finish and the No. 2 seed in the league tournament.  Laidler racked up 1,360 total assists heading into Friday’s matches.

WHAC coaches unanimously selected Wolves coach Mike Gibson as the league Coach of the Year.  Gibson led UMD to a second place conference regular season finish, including a week that saw the Wolves go on the road and defeat Madonna and Cornerstone.  Gibson’s squad earned the No. 2 tournament seed, their best ever WHAC showing.

Madonna University and Indiana Tech placed the most players on the All-Conference first-team with four each.  The Crusaders saw sophomore setter Inta Grinvalds (Portage, Mich.) and junior middle-hitter Whitney Fuelling (Milford, Mich.) join Gatt and Tihomirova.

Indiana Tech’s for representatives were junior setter Jenny Vogelgesang (Fort Wayne, Ind.), senior outside hitter Korinne Lewis (San Jose, Calif.), junior middle blocker Ashtyn Hummerickhouse (Ossian, Ind.) and senior middle blocker Erin McCann (Jackson, Mich.).

Cornerstone University and Michigan-Dearborn each placed two players on the first-team.  The Golden Eagles duo of senior outside hitter Rebecca Baker (Grandville, Mich.) and sophomore outside hitter Holly Cousins (Grand Rapids, Mich.) made the grade while UMD senior outside hitter Kristi Igo (Wayne, Mich.) joined Laidler on the first-team.

League coaches also selected an eight-member honorable mention squad, a six-member all-freshman team and an eight-member Champions of Character squad, led by Coach of Character honoree Kirsta Solber from Indiana Tech.

Regular season and tournament champion Madonna University, tournament runner-up Cornerstone University and consolation match winner Indiana Tech all advance to next week’s NAIA Region VIII tournament on the campus of Madonna University  in Livonia, Michigan.

All-WHAC First Team

Player of the Year: Lubovj Tihomirova, Madonna University

Setter of the Year: Renee Laidler, Michigan-Dearborn

Libero of the Year: Jacqui Gatt, Madonna University

Coach of the Year: Mike Gibson, Michigan-Dearborn

Honorable Mention All-WHAC

CONCORDIA: Ashley Zair, Samantha Cuppen

CORNERSTONE: Marcie Blacquiere, Tori Egerer

INDIANA TECH: Morgan Anson

MADONNA: Mary McGinnis, Stephanie Parslow

SIENA HEIGHTS: Ashley Hubbard

All-Freshman Team
Mollie Lunds, Aquinas, MH

Alicia TerHaar, Cornerstone, MB

Autumn Williams, Davenport, OH

Tiffany Aikin, Indiana Tech, OH

Lauren Kurtz, Siena Heights, MB

Freshman of the Year: Kayla Vandermolen, Davenport, S

Champions of Character Team

Betsy Schroeder, Siena Heights

Samantha Mol, Davenport

Stephanie Weiss, Concordia

Megan McCorry, Aquinas

Tori Egerer, Cornerstone

Laura Booker, Indiana Tech

Chelsea McCune, UM-Dearborn

Stephanie Parslow, Madonna University

Coach of Character: Kirsta Solberg

Academic All-WHAC

Aquinas:  Kari Carnell, Chelsea Nix, Maureen Nugent, Alene Seiler

Siena Heights: Betsy Schroeder

Concordia: Nicole Williams, Erin Walczak, Samantha Cuppen, Stephanie Weiss, Amanda Taylor, Erica Manning

Indiana Tech: Erin McCann, Morgan Anson, Korinne Lewis, Jenny Vogelgesang, Laura Booker, Staci Stork

Cornerstone: Rebecca Baker

Michigan-Dearborn: Kristi Igo

Madonna: Amy Szymanski, Lubovj Tihomirova, Whitney Fuelling, Jacqui Gatt