Fresno State Athletics
Volleyball Announces Team Award Recipients
12/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 14, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. -
The Fresno State volleyball team gathered to celebrate another successful season and four Bulldogs were recipients of team awards, handed out this afternoon by Fresno State volleyball head coach Lindy Vivas.Junior outside hitter Kristen Fenton (Marysville, Mich.) was the recipient of the team's Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player awards. As the team's co-MVP a year ago, Fenton excelled nationally in 2003 by being named to her second straight AVCA All-West Region team as well as being nationally ranked in kills per game all 14 weeks this past fall.
One of seven players in the nation to tally a 40-kill match this season, the three three-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week selection was the Bulldogs' top kill leader in 22 of 28 matches and set five rally scoring school records. Also named to her second straight All-WAC First Team as well as repeating as a WAC all-tournament pick, the four-time all-tournament led the team in kills (568), kills per game (5.21) and hitting efficiency (.314) while third in digs (291, 2.67 dpg) and blocks (72, 0.66 bpg).
As the second fastest Bulldog to total 1,000 career kills this fall, she became the seventh 'Dog to tally a 500-kill season and ranks in five Top 10 single-season marks and four Top 10 career marks at Fresno State. Fenton, who collected 20 or more points in 18 matches, will enter the 2004 season with a streak of 44 double-figure kill matches in which she is averaging 18.84 kills per match (4.91 kpg).
Junior libero Tina Brennan (Woodinville, Wash.) was the recipient of the team's Best Defensive Player and Academic Excellence awards. Posting back-to-back 300-dig seasons, she became just the fourth Bulldog to record a 400-dig year (400). While setting rally scoring records for digs in three games and five games this past season, Brennan ended the year with a current 10-match double-figure dig streak (17.90 digs per match, 4.60 dpg). The 2003 Academic All-District VIII pick posted six 20-dig matches and finished the season ranked in two Fresno State single-season Top 10 marks. She will enter her senior year with 882 career digs and will look to be only the sixth Bulldog to post 1,000 career digs. Awarded for her academics a year ago by Vivas, Brennan is the first true defensive player to garner the Defensive Player award as she sports a 4.00 cumulative GPA in liberal studies.
Sophomore setter Robyn Keune (Ventura, Calif.) received the Most Improved Player award after taking over the team as full-time setter. As a walk-on a year ago, Keune made an immediate impact as she finished with the school's third-best single-season mark of 1,345 assists. Also setting Fresno State's second-best season mark for assists per game (12.65), she was nationally ranked in assists for three weeks. As the seventh Bulldog to dish out 1,000 or more assists in a season, Keune also set two school rally scoring records for assists in four and five games. In the school's annals she already ranks No. 4 in career assists per game (11.57) and No. 8 in total career assists (1,585).
Senior outside hitter Stefanie Taelman (Gavere, Belgium) received the Coaches Award after posting career highs in virtually every statistical category her senior year. Recording her 200th career kill this fall, she overcame injuries and set backs the last two seasons after starting her freshman year. This past fall Taelman posted her first 100-kill (136) and 200-dig (215) season while collecting 66 blocks. Taelman hit better than .300 in six matches and recorded three of her four career double-doubles as a senior.
