Yelin Named Conference USA Coach of the Year
November 18, 2004 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 18, 2004
IRVING, Texas - Louisville head coach Leonid Yelin, who led his squad to a perfect 13-0 mark in league play this season, was selected by his coaching peers as the 2004 C-USA Coach of the Year. The 2004 Louisville squad became just the second team in C-USA history to run the table in league play as the Cardinals also went undefeated in 1995. The honor is Yelin's first in his eight seasons with the Cardinals, who enter this week's C-USA Tournament ranked No. 21 in the latest AVCA/ESPN Coaches' poll.
For the second-consecutive year, the Conference USA volleyball coaches recognized the on-court accomplishments of Cincinnati senior Julie DuPont naming her the league's Player of the Year. The Bearcats' outside hitter is the third player in C-USA history to earn two Player of the Year honors and is the second to win the award in back-to-back years. DuPont finished second in the C-USA standings with 514 kills and a 5.62 ppg average.
Joining DuPont on the all-conference first team, were Louisville outside hitters Bing Sun and Lena Ustymenko, who led their team to a 24-2 overall record and a blemish-free home record of 12-0. Also landing a spot on the first team was four-time 2004 Player of the Week Aida Antanaviciute of Saint Louis, junior libero Jaci Gonzalez of Houston, TCU outside hitter Dominika Szabo and senior setter Heather Watts of Memphis.
Watts also earned 2004 Setter of the Year accolades after she led the conference in assists with 1,688 (13.50 apg), which includes a league-high 81-assist outing against TCU on Nov. 11. Gonzalez also earned an individual award as the coaches named her the league's Defensive Player of the Year. The Cougars' junior led the conference in overall digs with 576 and digs per game with an average of 5.49.
Helping lead USF to its tenth-consecutive C-USA Tournament berth, Kristina Fabris was named the 2004 Freshman of the Year. The Ontario native earned her first conference weekly honor this season on Nov. 8 when Fabris led her team to a much-needed 3-2 win over conference-foe Memphis to clinch a 2004 tournament spot.
The 2004 ChevronTexaco C-USA Volleyball Tournament is set to begin this Friday, Nov. 19 at Cardinal Arena in Louisville, Ky. For complete coverage of the tournament, including a tournament bracket and match times, go to the official conference website at www.ConferenceUSA.com All-Conference First Team
Aida Antanaviciute, Saint Louis
Julie DuPont, Cincinnati
Jaci Gonzalez (L), Houston
Bing Sun, Louisville
Dominika Szabo, TCU
Lena Ustymenko, Louisville
Heather Watts (S), Memphis
All-Conference Second Team
Theresa Coughlin, Marquette
Deva Fowler, Tulane
Tiara Gilkey, Memphis
Rachel Torblaa, Cincinnati
Sarah Vernon (S), Marquette
Talaya Whitfield (L), TCU
Anastasia Yartseva, Louisville
2004 ALL-CONFERENCE USA AWARDS ANNOUNCED, page 2
All-Conference Third Team
Janet Goreham, DePaul
Ellen Hayes (L), DePaul
Myann Hellsten, Cincinnati
Jennifer Hoffman, Louisville
Erin Ludeke (S), TCU
Kelly McAnelly, Houston
Anna Vaughn, TCU
All-Freshman Team
Svetlana Dukule, Louisville
Kristina Fabris, USF
Sutton Lasater, Saint Louis
Elenda Pilnikova, Louisville
Kimberly Todd, Marquette
Talaya Whitfield, TCU
Player of the Year
Julie DuPont, Cincinnati
Coach of the Year
Leonid Yelin, Louisville
Defensive Player of the Year
Jaci Gonzalez, Houston
Setter of the Year
Heather Watts, Memphis
Freshmen of the Year
Kristina Fabris, USF
2004 ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
