Armstrong and Welch Highlight U-M's Six Award Winners
4/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Water Polo
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The seventh-ranked University of Michigan womens water polo team made a clean sweep at the CWPA Eastern Championship awards banquet tonight (April 23). Six different Wolverines were honored, including Western Division MVP junior goalkeeper Betsey Armstrong (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS), CWPA Rookie of the Year freshman driver Shana Welch (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West HS) and Western Division Coach of the Year Matt Anderson. For Armstrong, this is the second consecutive time she was honored as the division MVP.
Armstrong, also named to the All-Western Division first team, has been the anchor of a Michigan defense that has allowed just 4.69 goals per game this season. The two-time APWCA All-American is poised to break U-Ms season blocks record with 314 saves this season and boasts a 4.56 goals against average and a .729 save percentage this season. She also has 18 games with 10 or more saves this season, including two games with over 20 stops. This is the third CWPA All-Division award Armstrong has won, and her second MVP award.
In addition to being named the CWPA Rookie of the Year, Welch was also named to the All-Western Division first team. The freshman became the first Wolverine to post 40 goals and 40 steals in the same season and has already set the U-M record with 51 goals in 2004. She also leads Michigan with 42 steals on the year. Welch is the first U-M player to bring home the Rookie of the Year award.
Joining Armstrong and Welch on the All-Western Division first team was senior center Julie Nisbet (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS). Nisbet consistently gave the Wolverines a six-on-five advantage, drawing a school-record 57 ejections this year. She is also third on the team with 31 goals and is the only U-M player to score at least 30 goals in each of her four years at Michigan. For Nisbet, this is her fourth year being named to the CWPA All-Division team.
Junior driver Erin Brown (San Diego, Calif./Bishops HS) and junior driver Sheetal Narsai (Commerce, Calif./Bell Gardens HS) were both named to the CWPA All-Western Division second team. Brown became the first Wolverine to hand out 40 assists in a season, and leads the team with 41 helpers this year. Brown has also scored 24 goals in 2004 and is second on the team, to Narsai, with 65 points. This is Browns first CWPA All-Division second team award after also being named to the first team in 2002.
Narsais 66 points on 33 goals and 33 assists are tied for the best mark in Michigan history. She ranks second on the team in both categories and is also second among the Wolverines with 41 steals. For Narsai, this is her first CWPA All-Division second team award, after earning CWPA All-Southern Division first team honors in 2003.
Head coach Andersons Western Division Coach of the Year award was also a first in Michigan history. This season, he has guided the Maize and Blue to a school-record 28 victories. The Wolverines have also set U-M marks with 272 assists, 399 blocks, a 4.69 goals against average and a .700 save percentage. In his two years at Michigan, Anderson has compiled a 50-18 overall record, including 16-0 mark in conference play. The Wolverines have also won the conferences regular season crown and the Division Championship title in both years Anderson has been at the helm.
The top-seeded Wolverines (28-8) will begin their run at a NCAA Final Four berth with a second-round match against No. 8-seed Bucknell at the Eastern Championship tomorrow (April 24) at 9 a.m. The winner of the Eastern Championship earns the CWPAs automatic bid to the Final Four. All of U-Ms games will feature live updates on Michigan athletics website, MGoBlue.com
2004 CWPA All-Conference Awards
WESTERN DIVISION FIRST TEAM
Shannon Holt, Slippery Rock
Ann Markley, Mercyhurst
Julie Nisbet, Michigan
Krista Peterson, Indiana
Kandace Waldthaler, Indiana
Shana Welch, Michigan
Betsey Armstrong, Michigan
WESTERN DIVISION SECOND TEAM
Erin Brown, Michigan
Katherine Bucceri, Gannon
Sheetal Narsai, Michigan
Sonya Pyle, Gannon
Brandi Shoupe, Washington & Jefferson
Jessica Zedaker, Grove City
Jessica Goldner, Indiana
WESTERN DIVISION MVP
Betsey Armstrong, Michigan
CWPA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Shana Welch, Michigan
WESTERN DIVISION COACH OF THE YEAR
Matt Anderson, Michigan
Contact: Paul Dickerson (734) 763-4423
