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Posted by Patrick Moore - Women's Soccer - Wed, Nov 11, 2009
Lia Melasi
Lia Melasi
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - - It was announced Wednesday (Nov. 11) that the Madonna University women's soccer team had eight individuals earn All-WHAC honors in a vote by the league's head coaches following the annual coaches' meeting.

Leading the way for MU was a pair of All-WHAC first team picks in seniors Jessica Austin (Livonia, Mich.) and Lia Melasi (Fenton, Mich.).

Austin - making her second straight appearance on the league's top team - led Madonna in goals for the second straight season, finding the back of the net 11 times while adding two assists for 24 points. Melasi moved first into the midfield this season and then up top by the end of the season after spending the last three seasons in the MU backline. Melasi tallied a pair of goals and three assists for seven points.

Joining Austin and Melasi was fellow senior Lauren Hess (Livonia, Mich.) on the second team and junior Sarah Rokuski (Algonac, Mich.) on the third team. Hess was third on the squad this season with two goals and four assists and is making her fourth appearance on an all-conference team. Rokuski is making her first appearance on an honor team after starting the last two seasons in the Crusader defense.

Rokuski was also the Madonna selection to the Champions of Character team as the student-athlete who best displayed the NAIA‘s five core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

MU led the WHAC with a league high seven academic all-conference selections including Austin (language arts), Hess (nursing) and Rokuski (dietetics). Joining the trio were Diana Brda (Westland, Mich./psychology), Katie Kozlowski (Dearborn Heights, Mich./clinical imaging sciences), Brittany Warner (Canton, Mich./marketing) and Jaclyn Ventimiglia (Macomb, Mich./nursing). To be named academic all-conference a student-athlete must be a junior or senior academically and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher.

Contact: Patrick Moore (734) 432-5834