St. John's University Athletics
Huang, Leszczynska Named AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans
12/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sophomore outside hitter Hui Ping Huang (The People???s Republic of China) and junior setter Wioleta Leszczynska (Bielsko-Biala, Poland) became the first St. John???s volleyball players to receive AVCA All-America honors since 2004, when they were named American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I Honorable Mention All-Americans, as announced by the AVCA Wednesday afternoon.
???Hui Ping and Wioleta worked extremely hard all season and were instrumental in the success of our team this year,??? said head coach Joanne Persico-Smith. ???We are so proud of them, not only for their athletic achievements this season, but for their outstanding efforts off the court as well.???
Huang and Leszczynska were consistent forces at the net this season for the Red Storm, helping the team compile its best season in program history. The volleyball team posted a 31-5 overall record, won the 2006 BIG EAST regular season crown, and earned its first ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Huang played in 106 games this year, recording nine double-doubles and posting career-highs in assists, digs and total blocks. Huang was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for her efforts against Connecticut (Oct. 14). She also received All-BIG EAST first team honors for the second time and was named to the 2006 Gators Conference Challenge all-tournament team. In the BIG EAST, she ranked eighth in hitting percentage and rounded out the top 10 in kills per game. In conference matches only, Huang finished the season ranked third in kills per game (4.38) and fifth in hitting percentage (.355). Last season, Huang claimed the No. 1 spot on St. John???s all-time list for highest career hitting percentage (.330). This season, she continues to hold onto first place, and rounds out the top 10 in most career kills with 771.
Leszczynska joined the Red Storm this season as a junior transfer from the Globe Institute of Technology. As the team???s primary setter, she led the team in assists (1,296) and service aces (49). Leszczynska received her first conference weekly honor on Nov. 6. In the BIG EAST, Leszczynska finished the season ranked fifth in assists (11.53 per game) and in aces (47). In conference matches only, she claimed first place in assists with 13.87 per game and was ranked fifth in aces per game (0.48). For her efforts, Leszczynska was one of four from the Red Storm to receive All-BIG EAST second team honors. On Sunday, Nov. 12, Leszczynska became the eighth St. John???s athlete to record 1,000 assists in a single season as she dished out 59. She registered double-digits assists in all but one match this season and recorded a season-high of 62 assists against West Virginia in the opening weekend of BIG EAST play.
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