KLEIN, POLTE, AMBROSCH NAMED CHICAGOLAND COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC
CONFERENCE WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS AGAIN
For Immediate Release
November 6, 2007

JOLIET, Ill. --- For the third time this season, University of St. Francis has come away with Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball weekly honors in full tow.

And, for the second time, it has been by the same trio of senior outside hitter Lisa Klein (Hall H.S.Ladd, Ill.), sophomore setter Kelsey Polte (Hall H.S./Spring Valley, Ill.) and junior libero Courtney Ambrosch (Joliet Township H.S./Joliet, Ill.). 

All three were recognized for the week ending November 4 after helping land the Saints a share of the league’s regular-season title with their 30-16, 30-19, 30-16 victory over Robert Morris College Tuesday night.

Klein was named CCAC Player of the Week for the second week in a row and the fifth time overall after posting a .529 attack percentage in USF’s only match of the week.  She put down 20 kills against only two errors in 34 total chances, while also being credited with one assisted block.

Polte, who was named the league’s Setter of the Week for the third time, was all over the court against the Eagles.  Besides her 36 assists in the three-game match (12.0 apg), Polte also collected six kills, five digs and three aces, while issuing a .455 attack percentage.

Sixteen turned out to be a sweet number for Ambrosch, a three-time Libero of the Week.  She notched 16 digs and just as many passes without an error, while serving up one ace.

USF (26-18, 8-1 CCAC) takes its No. 1 seed into the 2007 CCAC Tournament, which opens on Tuesday.

In one of the fiercest Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball regular-season races, no less than three teams went into the final week of the regular season vying for a league championship.

In the end, University of St. Francis and Saint Xavier University shared the top prize finishing 8-1 each in league play with defending champion Olivet Nazarene University (7-2) one game back.

Beginning Tuesday (Nov. 6), those same three teams and five others will challenge for the 2007 CCAC Tournament crown with the winner advancing to the NAIA Region VII Tournament November 14-17.

St. Francis (26-18 overall) earned the No. 1 seed in the three-round tournament by virtue of its 30-22, 31-29, 30-23 victory over Saint Xavier back on September 4.  The Cougars (29-12) man the No. 2 spot with Olivet Nazarene (17-19) and Illinois Institute of Technology (27-13, 6-3 CCAC) following at Nos. 3 and 4.

A winner of six straight matches, St. Francis will play host to No. 8 seed Trinity International University (13-21, 2-7) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.  Saint Xavier also takes its six-match winning streak and victories in 20 of its last 22 contests into its 7 p.m. matchup with No. 7 seed Judson University (13-22, 3-6 CCAC) in Chicago.

In Tuesday’s other pairings, Olivet Nazarene will take on No. 6 seed Cardinal Stritch University (11-18, 5-4) in Bourbonnais, Ill. at 7:30 p.m., and No. 5 Trinity Christian College (19-19, 5-4) travels to Chicago to square off against Illinois Tech at 5 p.m.

Seimfinal-round action will take place on Thursday at the sites of the highest remaining seeds with the St. Francis/Trinity International winner squaring off against the victor of the Illinois Tech/Trinity Christian matchup, and the two winners between the Saint Xavier/Judson and Olivet Nazarene/Cardinal Stritch matches coming together.

Saturday’s championship will be hosted by the highest remaining seed at a time to be announced.