Dec. 12, 2007

Complete AVCA All-America Release

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State volleyball senior Ashley Schatzle (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) continued to add to her postseason resume, being named to the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I All-America Third Team. Since the end of the regular season, Schatzle has also been named to the All-Big Ten and All-Mideast Region teams, while also being selected to the NCAA Madison Regional All-Tournament squad.

Schatzle becomes only the sixth Michigan State volleyball student-athlete to be named an AVCA All-American - Dana Cooke (1995 First Team), Val Sterk (1995-96 First Team), Jenna Wrobel (1998 First Team), Erin Hartley (2001 Second Team) and Kim Schram (2003 Honorable Mention).

Schatzle led the team and was third in the Big Ten with 553 kills (4.53 per game), which is the fifth most by a Spartan in a single-season. She posted 20 double-doubles on the season and ended the season with a string of 21-straight double-digit kill efforts. Schatzle was also second on the team with 365 digs (2.99 per game). In only three seasons in Green and White, she finishes her career in eighth all-time with 1,419 kills and fifth with a 4.16 kills per game average.

The senior tri-captain helped the Spartans to a 21-14 overall record and a trip to NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal. MSU finished the Big Ten season at 10-10 and in a tie for fifth place, despite a 1-4 start in league play. Their regular season play earned the Spartans a berth in the NCAA Tournament and a trip to Dayton, Ohio. In Dayton, Michigan State swept both Kentucky and No. 15 Dayton to advance them to the Madison, Wis. Regional for a match-up with No. 2 Nebraska. The Spartans took the first two games from the defending national champions, but the Huskers came back to squeeze out the final three games for the match win. MSU is currently ranked No. 24 in the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, their first national ranking since Oct. 20, 2003.

The awards will be presented on Fri., Dec. 14 at the AVCA All-America/Players of the Year Banquet at the Sacramento Convention Center.