Wildcats' trio named to all-America team

Slate, Martin, Bernhardt all named to AVCA squad

ABILENE -- Abilene Christian's trio of seniors - middle blocker Amanda Slate, setter Lindsey Martin and outside hitter Michelle Bernhardt - on Monday became the first players in the history of ACU's volleyball program to earn all-America honors as each were named to the American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) NCAA Division II all-America team.

Slate was named second team all-America, while Martin was named third team all-America and Bernhardt an honorable mention all-America selection.

Monday's announcement follows last week's announcement that the three Wildcat seniors had been named first team all-region by both AVCA and Daktronics.  The Daktronics team is voted on by the region's sports information directors, while the AVCA team is voted on by the region's head coaches.  The Daktronics all-America team will be released next month, and all three are eligible for all-America honors on that team as well.

"It's just amazing to think about how far those girls have brought this program in their four years here," ACU head coach Brek Horn said.  "Each one of them deserves this recognition for what they've done, not only this year, but over the course of their careers.  This is a big honor and I'm proud of all three of them."

The best season in ACU volleyball history came to an end Nov. 20 with a 3-0 loss to No. 1-ranked Nebraska-Kearney in the Southwest Region tournament championship match in Kearney, Neb.  The Lopers (36-1) will host the NCAA Division II national tournament, Dec. 1-3.

The loss to the nation's top-ranked team snapped ACU's school-record 31-match winning streak and put an end to the Wildcats' season at 31-4.  No previous ACU volleyball team had ever won an NCAA post-season match, much less advanced to the regional championship match.

Slate, Martin and Bernhardt - along with fellow senior standout Ashlee Motola - led ACU to back-to-back Lone Star Conference titles (2004-05), two straight LSC South Division crowns (2004-05), two straight appearances in the regional tournament (2004-05), and a four-year record of 102-37, including 59-12 the last two seasons.  They were also the key players in the 34-match home winning streak the Wildcats will carry into the 2006 season.

They are also believed to be the first quartet in NCAA Division II volleyball history to play their entire careers together and finish with a 5,000-assist setter (Martin), a 2,000-kill hitter (Bernhardt), a 1,500-kill hitter (Slate) and a 1,000-kill hitter (Motola).

Slate - the two-time LSC South Division MVP - finished her career with 1,544 kills, which is third in ACU history behind Bernhardt and Linda Evans (1,560 from 1989-92).  She also finished second on the school's all-time blocks list with 500 total blocks, second to Evans, the LSC record-holder with 676 total blocks.

Martin finished her career with 5,793 assists, which is good for 19th on the all-time NCAA Division II list and second in LSC history.  She passed former Texas Woman's setter Sarah Steinmetz (5,790 career assists) in both categories in the match against Kearney.  Martin is far and away the all-time assist leader in ACU history with almost 1,500 more assists than previous record-holder Brittney Binder (ACU head coach Brek Horn's younger sister), who had 4,296 assists from 1996-99.

Bernhardt finishes her career with 2,128 kills, which is 21st on the NCAA Division II career list, second on the all-time Lone Star Conference list and first in ACU history.  Kearney's all-America middle blocker, Gudmundson, heads to the national tournament with 2,131 career kills, which is 19th on the all-time list.  Bernhardt finishes seventh on the Division II career list for total attacks with 5,451, and she finished in the top 20 all-time in kills per game at 4.41.  Bernhardt also finished fourth on ACU's all-time digs list with 1,501.