Wolverine Standouts to Face Brundage, Olympic Team

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Three University of Michigan softball players -- pitcher Marie Barda (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South HS), outfielder Melissa Taylor (Petersburg, Mich./Summerfield HS) and catcher/designated player Stefanie Volpe (Plymouth, Mich./Plymouth-Canton HS) -- have been selected for the 18-player Midwest Collegiate Softball All-Star team. The all-star team will battle the nation's top women's softball team -- the USA Olympic team -- in Sunday's (June 18) 4 p.m. CDT exhibition doubleheader in South Bend, Ind., as part of the National Team's pre-Olympic Games "Central Park to Sydney" tour.

The Michigan trio will unite with Wolverine assistant coach Jennifer Brundage, who is a member of the 2000 Olympic Team. Brundage, listed on the roster at third base, is batting .321 and is tied for the team lead with 11 RBI through the first 13 games of the tour (through June 12). Olympic team tour information and statistics are available through USA Softball's web site, www.usasoftball.com.

Barda earned first-team NFCA Great Lakes Region and Big Ten Conference awards after compiling a 17-7 record and 0.79 ERA in the pitching circle. Taylor batted .325 and led Michigan with 22 stolen bases and 62 hits. The rightfielder was an All-Big Ten third-team selection. Volpe finished the season as the Wolverines' leading batter, hitting a career-best .363 with five home runs and 36 RBI. She was named to the NFCA All-America third team and All-Great Lakes Region first team.

The doubleheader (4/6 p.m.) is scheduled at Belleville Softball Complex on the west side of South Bend. Fans should exit the Indiana Toll Road (I-80/90) at U.S. 31 South/Plymouth-Niles-South Bend, taking the South Bend/Plymouth fork off the exit. Follow the U.S. 31 bypass east to the Mayflower exit and turn left. The Belleville Softball Complex will be on the right side of the road. Tickets will be available at the gate $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Midwest Collegiate Softball All-Stars Roster

NAME	POS.	COLLEGE TEAM	HOMETOWN
Marie Barda	RHP	Michigan	Darien, Ill.
Jill Carpenter	SS	Northern Illinois	Tinley Park, Ill.
Katie Crabtree	SS/3B	Purdue	Bloomington, Ill.
Kristy Crain	IF	Evansville	Greencastle, Ind.
Christy Dalton	RHP	Northern Illinois	Long Grove, Iowa
Shavaughn Desecki	OF	DePaul	Schiller Park, Ill.
Dana Jakusz	OF	DePaul	Lemont, Ill.
Yasmin Khan	2B	Loyola (Ill.)	Tinley Park, Ill.
Jennifer Kriech	OF	Notre Dame	Indianapolis, Ind.
Leslie Kwiatkowski	OF	Kentucky	South Bend, Ind.
Lisa Mattison	1B/C/DP	Notre Dame	Granger, Ind.
Brooke Monroe	C/2B	Indiana	Morton, Ill.
Jarrah Myers	C	Notre Dame	Carbondale, Kan.
Stacey Phillips	SS	Michigan State	St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Paula Slingerland	2B	Eastern Michigan	White Lake, Mich.
Jennifer Sharron	LHP	Notre Dame	Agoura Hills, Calif.
Melissa Taylor	OF	Michigan	Petersburg, Mich.
Stefanie Volpe	C/DP	Michigan	Plymouth, Mich.

Contact: Amy Carlton (734) 763-4423

University of Michigan Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Marie Barda

Melissa Taylor

Stefanie Volpe

Related Videos