Scott Golden and Vladimir Frenc were named 2010 AVCA NAIA All-Americans
Milwaukee, Wis. - Two of the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves men’s volleyball players, junior Vladimir Frenc (Belgrade, Serbia) and sophomore Scott Golden (Vernon Hills, Ill.), capped off their 2010 season by receiving American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NAIA All-American Awards.
The All-American award for Frenc comes shortly after receiving the Player of the Year Award for the Eastern Conference of the Mid-America Men’s Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference (MAMVIC) for the second straight year. He also received a 2010 All-Tournament Team Award for his great performance last weekend. Frenc’s 4.69 kills per game at the National Tournament were enough to make him the tournament leader in that category, reaffirming his well-deserved awards.
Frenc has clearly been the heart and soul of this team in the two years that he has been with the Wolves. In 2010, he recorded a team high 479 kills in only 111 games played, which is the fewest among all starters. Frenc was also second on the team in service aces with 35, one ace behind Fernando Bernal (Miami, Fla.). His offense has always been the most recognized element of Frenc’s game, which usually means his defense goes unnoticed. However, Frenc’s 167 digs was good for third best on the team, behind only the two defensive specialists. Frenc also recorded 71 total blocks, giving him the fourth best blocking total on the team.
The hard work that Frenc displays on the volleyball court is the same hard work he displays in the classroom. His commitment to academics may allow Frenc to graduate a semester early during his senior year, preventing him from competing in the 2011 volleyball season. Whether or not the Cardinal Stritch University community gets to see Frenc play another season, his impact on the men’s volleyball program will be remembered for many years to come.
Along with Frenc making the opposition scratch their heads was sophomore middle blocker Scott Golden. In addition to receiving the All-American honor, Golden was given the MAMVIC East First Team All-Conference award. Golden’s success in the middle came on both sides of the ball. He consistently made plays on offense, and gave the defense some help with his fundamentally sound blocking skills.
Golden was second on the team in kills with 416 in 129 games played. Golden’s most impressive statistic was his .462 hitting percentage. The closest hitting percentage to Golden’s for hitters with over 100 kills was Fernando Bernal (Miami, Fla.), who recorded a percentage of .314. From a coaches’ perspective, Scott Golden would be the ideal offensive player. He simply got results without making mistakes. Golden’s ability to score points helped open up the rest of the Wolves’ offense by not allowing the opposing teams’ blockers to overload on the outside hitter or the opposite hitter.
The Wolves also saw a great improvement in their defense thanks to Golden’s blocking and footwork. Golden led the team in total blocks with 125, and in block assists with 108. When the middle blocker is able to close the blocks, it gives the defense a better opportunity to find the ball and dig it up. Although this does not show up on a stat line, Golden’s teammates know and appreciate his abilities to do so.
“I’m extremely proud of both Vlad and Scott,” Wolves head coach Dave Schmidlin said. “They worked hard all year long and were pivotal in our team success. It’s a great tribute to their play by being named All-Americans.”
The Wolves wrapped up their 2010 season ranked third in the country, finishing second in the MAMVIC East with a record of 10-2 and an overall record of 26-13.