COLUMBIA COLLEGE’S DENG YANG NAMED 1999 AVCA NAIA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is pleased to announce that Columbia College’s Deng Yang, a sophomore setter from Chang Zhoa, China, has been selected the 1999 AVCA NAIA National Player of the Year.
 
 Deng Yang (pronounced "Din Young") earned AVCA First-Team All-America honors for the second season after leading the Columbia Cougar women’s volleyball team to a 40-0 record and its second consecutive NAIA national championship title.  The Cougars claimed the 1999 NAIA title with a perfect 40-0 record after a 3-1 victory over Fresno Pacific University in the championship match on Fresno’s home court.  During the season, Columbia established NAIA records with 85 consecutive match victories, 78 consecutive home match victories and 227 consecutive game victories.

 Yang continues the trend of Columbia setters earning AVCA Player of the Year honors.  Yang Zhe (pronounce "Young Juh") won the award in 1997 and 1998.

 Yang earns AVCA Player of the Year honors during her first season as a setter.  During the 1999 campaign, she led the Cougars with 1,209 assists (10.5 assists per game).  She also contributed 0.9 blocks and 1.39 kills per game.  Her efforts in the national tournament earned her Most Valuable Player accolades.

 In 1998, Yang was an AVCA First-Team NAIA All-American as an outside hitter for the Cougars.

 "I am honored to receive this award," Yang said.  "I am proud to be part of this team.  It was my first year setting, so I didn’t know what to expect, but the season was special."

 The formal presentation of the award to the 1999 AVCA National Players of the Year will be made Dec. 17, 1999, in Honolulu, Hawai’i, at the AVCA All-America/Player of the Year banquet, beginning at 9 a.m.  The banquet, which will take place at the Hawaiian Regent at Waikiki Beach, is held in conjunction with the 1999 AVCA National Convention and NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championship.