Vladimir Frenc has been named 2010 MAMVIC East Player of the Year
Milwaukee, Wis. – The Cardinal Stritch University Wolves men’s volleyball team had another successful season and it was due to players such as Vladimir Frenc (Belgrade, Serbia), Scott Golden (Vernon Hills, Ill.), Matt Tauaese (Pomona, Calif.), and Garrett Payne (San Diego, Calif.). On Monday, Frenc was named Mid-America Men’s Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) East Player of the Year while joining his three teammates with All-Conference honors.
Appearing in 98 of the Wolves 129 total games, Frenc was the team’s leader in several categories. The junior opposite hitter was ahead of the pace in total attacks (870), total points (487.5), and kills (418). He ranked second in the conference in kills per set and in total kills.
Frenc was also named First Team All-Conference.
“Vlad was a big part of our success,” Stritch head coach Dave Schmidlin said. “He hits with a lot of power and was a game-changing player throughout the year.”
While Frenc was solid, several others played a key role in this year’s current 25-win season. Junior Scott Golden, playing in his first year as a primary starter, had a strong campaign while being named First Team All-Conference. The Vernon Hills, Ill. native led the country in hitting percentage (.469) and led Stritch in total combined blocks (99). The junior ranked second on the team in points (476.5) and kills (386), while ranking third on the Wolves in total attacks (657)
Senior Matt Tauaese was another major contributor during the year. The Wolves’ outside hitter was second in the program in total attacks (666), third in blocks (50), third in points (355), and third in kills (292). Tauaese showed himself to be extremely durable during the season as he appeared in all but 10 games that the Wolves played in. To date, he’s appeared in 119 games this season while garnering MAMVIC East First Team All-Conference.
Rounding out this year’s Stritch players on the all-conference list is senior setter Garrett Payne. Payne was the definition of lending a helping hand as the San Diego, Calif. native registered over 1,259 assists in 108 games this season to lead the country. His 11.6 sets per game ranked him second in the country as well.
While most setters rarely get the chance to attack, Payne made the most of his chances by connecting for 40 kills this season. Payne has been named All-Conference Honorable Mention for his efforts.
“All of these guys are so deserving of these recognitions,” Schmidlin added. “It’s because of their hard work and leadership that this team fought through a tough start to the season and came through with another strong year for Wolves men’s volleyball. We’re all extremely proud of them as they are true markers for the continued success of this program.”
The No. 3 Wolves most recently fell in the MAMVIC East Championship to St. Ambrose on Saturday, Apr. 10, but will look to earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament which will be played April 22-24 in Davenport, Iowa.