Four Horizon League Volleyball Players Receive All-America Honorable Mention
Dec. 17, 2004
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Four Horizon League volleyball players have earned All-America honorable mention from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the organization has announced. Receiving the honors this year are seniors Areal Bienemy of Butler University, Jamie Bouyer of Cleveland State University, Karen Fruit of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Lauren Holbrook of Loyola University Chicago .
Bienemy garnered the AVCA honor for the second year in a row, while all four were named to the 11-player Midwest Region Team earlier this month and the 12-member All-Horizon League Team in November.
The four selections are the most in a single season in Horizon League history, surpassing last year's total of three. This year's total is as many as the Mountain West and California-based West Coast conferences and more than the Western Athletic (3), Mid-American (2), Missouri Valley (2), Atlantic-10 (1) and Ohio Valley (1).
Bienemy, a senior middle blocker from Violet, La., ranked third in the Horizon League in blocks (1.28 bpg), fifth in kills (3.89 kpg) and seventh in hitting percentage (.243) for Butler (18-10), which finished second in the League regular-season standings behind UW-Milwaukee.
Bouyer, a senior middle blocker from Bedford Heights, Ohio, led the League in both hitting percentage (.388) and blocks (1.45 bpg) as Cleveland State (15-13) posted its best conference finish (fourth) in school history. She helped the Vikings advance to the League tournament championship match for the first time before losing to Loyola in five games. Bouyer becomes the first All-American in the history of CSU volleyball.
Fruit, a senior outside hitter from Viola, Wis., was named the Horizon League Player of the Year after leading UW-Milwaukee (19-8) to the regular-season title and an 11-match winning streak to end the regular season. She topped the League in kills (5.17 kpg) and ranked third in service aces (0.45 apg) and ninth in digs (3.32 dpg).
Holbrook, a senior setter from Indianapolis, directed Loyola (22-9) to the Horizon League Tournament championship following a third-place regular-season finish. She led the League in assists (12.96 apg) and ranked eighth in digs (3.35 dpg). Late in the season, she became just the third Division I player in the rally-scoring era (2001-present) to record 5,000 career assists and 1,000 career digs.
As the Horizon League champion, Loyola represented the League in the NCAA Tournament, where the Ramblers lost at the University of Wisconsin in the first round earlier this month.
