 November 27, 2008LEXINGTON, KY. – Freshman middle hitter Weslie Gaff of the University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball team has been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest Region Freshman of the Year as announced today by the AVCA.
Gaff was also selected to the 14-player all-Midwest Region team, while senior setter Lisa Brinker was selected to the honorable mention list. Gaff was the lone freshman represented in the Midwest Region.
The duo helped UMSL to a 23-8 record in 2008, the first 20-win season for the Tritons since 1996. Additionally, the team finished with a 14-3 Great Lakes Valley Conference mark, the most GLVC wins in school history.
Gaff, who was also tabbed as the GLVC Freshman of the Year, was the most consistent player for the Tritons this season, leading the squad in hitting percentage (.295) and blocks (95) and ranking second in kills (282).
In 17 GLVC matches, Gaff hit at a .360 clip, which ranked second in league play, and averaged 2.75 kills and 0.88 blocks per set.
Brinker recorded 1,314 assists in her final season, and ended her four-year stellar career with 4,769 assists, which places her second all-time in UMSL history. She was also fourth on the team in digs (278) and ranks seventh all-time with 1,104 career digs. She also ended her career tied for 10th all-time with 81 career service aces.
Brinker, a second team all-GLVC choice, finished the conference schedule ranked third with 11.39 assists per set and tallied 2.75 digs per set. She was named GLVC Player of the Week Sept. 15 and was also selected to the to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine College Division All-District VII first team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
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