Mattson, Nicholson, Olson, Klassen, Ford Honored by WIAC

Nov. 9, 1999

Four Falcon volleyball players have been named to the 1999 All-WIAC team and coach Patti Ford has been named the conference Coach of the Year.

The Falcons won the 1999 WIAC regular season championship with an 8-0 record. They finished second in the conference tournament, losing to Whitewater, 3-2. The Falcons earned a berth in the 1999 NCAA Div. III national tournament and enter that competition with a 30-6 overall record.

Hitters Melissa Mattson and Joy Nicholson and setter Holly Olson were all named to the first team while hitter Meggan Klassen was given honorable mention.

Mattson averages 3.03 kills a game with a team-high .302 hitting percentage. She has 77 blocks. Nicholson averages a team-high 3.62 kills a game and has a .216 hitting percentage. She has 46 aces, averages 2.95 digs a game and has 73 blocks. Olson leads the team in assists with 1,565 and aces with 59. She averages 2.17 digs a game. Klassen averages 3.07 kills a game and has a .267 hitting percentage. She leads the team with 148 blocks.

Ford, who is in her eighth season with the Falcons, has been named the Coach of the Year for the second time. She won the award in 1995. She won her 200th match earlier this year and has led the Falcons to NCAA Div. III berths in four of the past five seasons. She enters this year's national tourney with a 216-86 career record. Ford has led the Falcons to 30 or more wins in four of the last five seasons.