Tracy Ainger of Fresno Pacific Named 1996 AVCA NAIA Player of the Year

Colorado Springs, Colo. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to announce that Fresno Pacific's Tracy Ainger has been selected the 1996 AVCA NAIA National Playerof the Year.

Ainger completed her stellar career at Fresno Pacific by becoming the NAIA's all-time digs leader with 2,618 in just three seasons.  The senioroutside hitter had 554 kills, 755 digs, 94 blocks and a .274 hitting percentagethis season.  She had a season-high 27 kills in an earlier-season match against Texas Lutheran.

She completed her career by leading the Sunbirds to a 30-5 overall record, and their third consecutive national championship appearance.  In each ofthose three seasons, Ainger was named to the all-tournament first-team.  In her three years at FPU, Ainger helped the Sunbirds to a 97-19 overall record.

Ainger has reached the double-digit mark in kills in 95 of the 108 matches played at Fresno, and has totaled 93 matches with double-digit performances in both kills and digs.  In the 1996 national tournament, Ainger registered double-digits in kills and digs in all five Sunbird matches.

She is a three-time AVCA First-Team All-American, becoming just the fourth student-athlete to accomplish that feat.

Ainger is currently an English major at Fresno Pacific.

The formal presentation of her award will be made Dec. 20, 1996, in Cleveland,Ohio, at the AVCA Player of the Year/All-America brunch beginning at 9:30a.m.  The brunch, which will take place at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel, is held in conjunction with the 1996 AVCA National Convention.