Volleyball Garners Top Two Individual Honors at BIG EAST
November 16, 2006 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 16, 2006
The University of Louisville volleyball team garnered the top two BIG EAST Conference individual awards for the 2006 season. Ana Yartseva Stewart earned Player of the Year honors and Tatyana Kolesnikova picked up the Rookie of the Year Award.
The 2006 BIG EAST Volleyball postseason award winners as well as the all-conference team selections were announced Thursday evening at the Great Hall in the Tangeman University Center on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. The announcement came as part of the annual Awards Banquet held the night before the quarterfinal games of the BIG EAST Championship. This year's Championship is being held Nov. 17-19 at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Louisville senior middle blocker Ana Stewart was named BIG EAST Player of the Year and an all-conference first team selection. In her final season, Stewart helped the Cardinals to 11 straight conference victories to close the regular season, en route to a 13-1 league mark and second-place finish in BIG EAST play. Stewart finished the season as the top individual in the conference in hitting percentage (.438). The Cardinal senior led the team in hitting percentage (.438) and blocks (1.37 bpg). In addition, the Anapa, Russia native ranked second on the team in digs (2.52 dpg) and third in kills (2.46 kpg). Stewart was named to the conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 11 and Sept. 25.
Louisville freshman outside hitter Tatyana Kolesnikova was tabbed BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and also received all-conference first team honors. Kolesnikova becomes the first freshman from Louisville to be named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. This season, the Cardinal rookie played in 87 games. The Louisville freshman was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week a league best three times this season and was named conference Player of the Week on Oct. 10. Kolesnikova played a pivotal role for the Cardinals offensively as she led the team in kills with an average of 3.52 (303 total). In addition, the Uzbekistan native posted a hitting percentage of .352, which ranked second among individuals in the league in all conference matches.
