Gustavus volleyball players Bridget Burtzel (Cold Spring, Minn.) and Emily Klein (Red Wing, Minn.) were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region Team for the 2008 season. Both players earned all-conference honors, while Klein was also named the MIAC Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Burtzel and Klein are now eligible for All-America honors.
Senior setter Bridget Burtzel finished the season ranked second in the MIAC with 10.71 assists per set. She also recorded 3.01 digs per set and 15 service aces playing in 111 of the 112 sets for the Gusties this season. Burtzel finished her career at Gustavus with the third-most assists in school history at 3,713 and the second-most digs at 1,359.
Senior libero Emily Klein, a two-time all-conference honoree, led in the league this season with 0.48 service aces per set and ranked third with 6.31 digs per set. She also committed just 40 receiving errors in 670 opportunities. Klein set a new single-season dig record with 664 digs, breaking the previous record of 649 digs she set in 2006. She holds every dig record in program history, including career digs (2,329) and digs in a match (48).
Both players helped the Gusties compile a 26-5 record this season, the team’s fewest losses since 1976. Gustavus also made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1986 where it lost in the first round to UW-Eau Claire.
Complete All-Region Teams