Tuck becomes second-ever Grizzly to receive Daktronics honor

by Chris Day

Andrea Tuck leads the RMAC in points and pointes per game. Photo by Daniel Binkard.

KEARNEY, Neb.— The honors continue to roll in for Adams State College sophomore outside hitter Andrea Tuck (Erie, Colo.) as she was tabbed to the Daktronics All-Southwest Region volleyball team, that was announced Wednesday.

Tuck, who was a second team selection, is just the second Grizzly to receive such an award in the 7-year history of the awards program. Amy Cousin was the first, receiving first team honors as a senior in 2003.

Sports information directors from within the region, made up of the Rocky Mountain Athletic, Heartland and Lone Star Conferences, select the all-region teams. First team members move on to the national ballot and can ear All-America honors.

Tuck finished the 2007 campaign with 503 kills, second only to Cousin’s 2003 total of 519, in ASC’s single-season history. She was tabbed as a First Team All-RMAC pick last week and earned a spot on the All-RMAC Tournament team after leading the Grizzlies to a berth in the semifinals over the weekend.

Tuck leads the RMAC in points (562.5) and points per game (5.02). She is second in kills and kills per game. She was in double figures for kills in all but one of ASC’s 29 matches and recorded 20 or more in eight of those efforts. She also had six double-doubles while hitting .259.

The Erie High School graduate started her career at the University of Wyoming before transferring to Metro State and then on to ASC, where she sat out the 2006 season because of NCAA transfer regulations.

Fort Lewis senior Nicole Schwab was tabbed as the Regional Player of the Year. She was also a first team all-region pick for the second straight year. Joining her on the first team was Central Oklahoma libero Lacie Allen, Texas A&M-Commerce middle Colleen Favaro, outside hitters Mari Araujo of Central Oklahoma and Laura Pinsen of West Texas A&M, Nebraska-Kearney right side hitter Shannon Cluasen and West Texas A&M setter Katie Rickwartz.

Allen was also a first team selection in 2006.

Although, the LSC was well represented on the first team, the RMAC had five of the seven total selections on the second team. Joining Tuck on that list were UC-Colorado Springs middle hitter Brooke Akers, Nebraska-Kearney middle Nikki Scott, Metro State outside hitter Julie Green-McFarland and Mesa State right side Drew Choules, now a 3-time pick West Texas A&M libero Sara Conteras and Midwestern State (Texas) setter Allison Schreiber were also honored.

Twelve of the 14 total selections are from teams that will compete in the NCAA Division II Southwest Regional Tournament, which begins Friday.

Daktronics, with headquarters in Brookings, S.D., is an acknowledged leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition.

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