April 28, 2006

Villanova, Pa. - Sophomore Kacy Sellers (Battle Creek, Mich.), and seniors Dana Kabashima (Santa Monica, Calif.), and Megan Bye (Englewood, Colo.) were all honored at the end-of-season banquet held by the team last Wednesday.

Sellers was named the team Most Valuable Player, while Kabashima earned Most Improved and Bye was given the Coaches' Award.

After a strong freshman campaign in 2004, Sellers picked up where she left off this season. In 32 matches, Sellers tallied double figures in kills 10 times and led the team in the category on four occasions. She also led the team in attack percentage in 10 matches and either tied or led the squad in blocks 14 times. Against Georgetown on October 8, she registered one of her top performances of the year. Sellers pounded down 21 kills with a .395 attack percentage in the match, both team highs. She also had five blocks and a season-high 15 digs to record her only double-double of the season.

She earned second team All-BIG EAST honors after averaging 2.56 kills per game (third on the team), and a team-leading hitting percentage of .306, which ranked her ninth overall in the BIG EAST. She averaged almost a block a game and led the Wildcats with 103 total blocks. Her 82 block assists rank fourth all-time for block assists in a season. She averaged 0.46 service aces per game in 32 matches to rank third in the BIG EAST.

Kabashima hit .202 and averaged 2.05 kills per game in 32 matches on the right side. She stood third on the team with 2.71 digs per game while serving as a passer. Kabashima led the team in kills twice and digs and blocks five times each. She had five matches where she registered ten or more kills and ten matches with ten or more digs. Against West Virginia (24) and Georgetown (20) she tallied 20 or more digs and posted four kill-dig double doubles. In 2004, Kabashima hit .121 in 27 matches.

Bye filled the key role of libero for the 'Cats this season. She averaged 2.18 digs per game in 108 games. She led the team in digs three times and posted ten or more digs in 10 matches this season. Bye tallied a season-high 14 digs twice, against Rutgers and Delaware and tied her career-high of two aces in a match at Seton Hall.

Kabashima and senior Celine Nguyen (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif.) each reached and surpassed the 1,000 career dig mark this season. Nguyen reached it first, against Northern Arizona, when she recorded 20 digs for the match. Kabashima crossed over the mark against Georgetown. Nguyen finished her career with 1,254 to rank fifth all-time in Villanova history, while Kabashima ended with 1,131.

Junior Adrian Semrau received Villanova's Sister Mary Margaret Cribben award. Created in 1985, this honor recognizes the student-athlete who "unselfishly sacrifices time, effort, body and soul to lead and motivate her teammates in excelling for Villanova athletics through inspiration".

Villanova completed one of the biggest turnarounds in BIG EAST history this season after finishing 21-11 a year after posting an overall record of 9-18. The Wildcats recorded their first winning season since 2002 and posted 20 wins for the first time since 1997. 'Nova's 10-0 start to the year matched its best since 1994, and Villanova began the conference season 2-0 for the first time in nine years.