Kari Peterson of Augustana Named 2000 AVCA Division II Player of the Year

Colorado Springs, Colo. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to announce that Augustana College's Kari Peterson, a 5-9 junior setter from Moorhead, Minn., has been selected the 2000 AVCA Division II National Player of the Year.

Peterson ranks third in the nation in assists per game at 13.96 after leading Division II last season in the same category. She added to the offense with 1.18 kills per game, a .383 attack percentage and 0.26 service aces per game. Defensively, Kari charted 3.65 digs and 0.42 blocks per game to help Augustana win a spot in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Tournament this year.

"Kari is truly the foundation of our team," Augustana Head Coach Kim Sudbeck Marcil said. "We would not be competing at this level of play, if Kari did not put in the long hours in the gym. I am a firm believer that volleyball is the true essence of a team sport--meaning our hitter's success and our team's success would not exist if Kari was not a part of this team. We are competing in the Elite Eight because of her."

Peterson's statistics increased in comparison to national and regional ranked teams. She averaged 15.22 assists and 4.48 digs per game against nationally ranked teams and attacked at a .404 percentage against regionally ranked teams in 2000. Peterson turned in a triple-double on Nov. 4 against Northern Colorado with season-highs of 11 kills and 83 assists to go with 22 digs.

Peterson was honored on the All-North Central Conference First-Team and was a North Central Conference All-Academic honorable mention. She was also named all-tournament at the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 1-2.

Peterson is the first player from Augustana to capture the AVCA National Player of the Year Award. She is the first student-athlete from the North Central Conference to earn the award since Janet Cobbs of North Dakota State was selected in 1988.

The formal presentation of the award to the 2000 AVCA National Players of the Year will be made Dec. 15, in Richmond, Va., at the AVCA All-America/Player of the Year banquet. The banquet, which will take place at the Richmond Marriott, is held in conjunction with the 2000 AVCA National Convention and NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championship.

Previous AVCA Division II Players of the Year
1999: Sarah Butler, West Texas A&M
1998: Melinda Almazan, Regis
1997: Sarah Butler, West Texas A&M
1996: Liu Jun, Northern Michigan
1995: Liu Jun, Northern Michigan
1994: Christy Wieneke, Cal State-Bakersfield
1993: Stacey Metro, Northern Michigan
1992: Stacey Metro, Northern Michigan
1991: Ana Cristina Pereira, West Texas A&M
1990: Becky Belland, Central Missouri State
1989: Sheri Benson, UC Riverside
1988: Janet Cobbs, North Dakota State
1987: Angela Brinton, Cal State-Northridge
1986: Annie Kniss, UC Riverside
1985: Lynda Johnson, Portland State

Photo By: Pete Wright