South Mountaineer Volume 40, Issue 13

              Lehigh Athletics
Website: http://www.lehigh.edu
Hotline: (610) 758-LULU
Olympic Sports Report
Service Electric, Ch. 2, Thursday 7:30p.m
This Week: Volleyball & Indoor Track
BASKETBALL: Both teams ready to begin season
10
FOOTBALL:      Team plays #3 Delaware
11
THE GAME:       Activities for Lehigh/Lafayette game
South Mountaineer
Volume 11, Issue 13
Lehigh University Athletics Weekly
November 18,1997
Volleyball
PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!
Lehigh avenges two league losses to to capture crown
by Jason Jenkins
Sports Communications Office
Lewisburg, PA. - Kim Freedman had 32
kills and eight blocks as third-seeded
Lehigh upset top-seeded Bucknell 3-2, in
the championship match of the 1997
Patriot'League Volleyball Tournament.
The Mountain Hawks (17-12) won the
fifth and deciding game, 15-12 to claim
their first league volleyball title since
1993. Freedman was named the
tournament Most Valuable Player.
"Volleyball is a team sport," Freedman
said, giving credit to her teammates.
"We can't be successful if any one
person is out there not contributing."
Head coach Patrick Nicholas agreed
with Freedman's sentiments.
"Kim Freedman and Patty Watson,
our setter, were phenomenal," first-year
coach Patrick Nicholas said. "Jessica
McCarthy played tremendously
throughout the tournament. Jess and
Veronica Ret both shut down their big
offensive players."
Lehigh used a stifling defense to hold
the Patriot League Offensive Player of
the Year, Navy's Rachel Shropa and
Bucknell's outstanding hitter Melissa
Wharton well below their season
averages.
Lehigh now will host Wagner
University, who the Mountain Hawks
beat earlier in the season 3-2, in an
Junior Jessica McCarthy stepped up her play in the tournament
credit: Joe Ryan
NCAA "play-in" match this weekend.
The winner of that match will participate
in the NCAA tournament.
With the win, Lehigh avenged an earlier
season loss to Bucknell.
The Bison won the first game, 15-1 l,as
Jen Post served out the final six points.
Lehigh, though, rolled to a 15-5 win in game
two and edged Bucknell, 15-13, in game
three. In the fourth game, Bucknell lost an
early 6-0 lead, and Lehigh led at one point,
11-9, before the Bison rallied for a 15-13 win,
setting up the fifth and deciding game.
Lehigh led most of the way in the final game
and had a 14-8 lead before the Bison closed
to within two at 14-12. Lehigh, though,
closed out the game on a game winning kill
from Kim Freedman off an assist from Patty
Watson.
To advance to the final game Lehigh beat
Navy, another team who had defeated them
earlier in the season.
"Our hitting and blocking was the key to
the win," Nicholas said. "It was a very
physical net game.".
Kim Freedman once again led the way for
Lehigh with 18 kills.
Marta Mielcarz added 10 kills and Veronica
Ret added six kills and had six blocks.
Patty Watson had 30 assists in the victory.
Navy ended their season at 16-23 with the
loss.
Game Stats
Tournament Final
Lehigh 3, Bucknell 2
LU        11 15 151315
BU        15  5   131512
Kills:       Freedman 32
Mielcarz    10
Digs:       Mielcarz    13
Freedman 11
Blocks:   Freedman 8
Ret 7
Assists:   Watson     54
Tournament
Semi-Final
Lehigh 3, Navy 1
LU        15 13 1515
Navy     12 15    710
Kills:       Freedman 18
McCarthy 11
Digs:
Freedman 4
Blocks:   McCarthy 7
Ret 6
Assists:   Watson     30
Three Lehigh players make All-League
WHATAFALL!!!
Lehigh University capped off a tremendous
fall with three teams (Volleyball, Men's Golf
and Men's Soccer) either going to or
winning a Patriot League Title.   Here's a
look at how Lehigh stacked up against the
rest of the conference.
Army       Women's Tennis, Women's Cross
Country
Bucknell   Men's Cross Country
Colgate    Men's Soccer, Women's soccer
HC Field Hockey
Lafayette None
LEHIGH Golf, Volleyball
Navy        None
Championship Finals*
Army       Women's Soccer
Bucknell   Volleyball
Colgate    None
HC None
Lafayette Field Hockey
LEHIGH Volleyball, Men's Soccer
Navy        None
*Does not include golf, men's and women's
cross country and women's tennis which are
tournaments.
Mielcarz, Watson and Freedman awarded for their success on the court
by Jason Jenkins
Sports Communictions Office
Several Lehigh players were lauded for
their accolades Saturday morning at the
Patriot League tournament award banquet
held on the campus of
Bucknell University.
Lehigh junior
outside hitter Marta
Mielcarz was tabbed by
the league's coaches as
the Defensive Player of
the Year.
Mielcarz led the
Mountain Hawks and
ranked second in the
.conference in dig
average.
Mielcarz was a two-
time Defensive Player of
the Week selection in
1997, and also earned
Offensive Player of the
Week honors once.
freedman
Marta Mielcarz
"I was surprised I got the award," Mielcarz
said.   "I love to play defense."
Mielcarz said her approach and
studying other players
is what led to her
superb defensive
season.
"I love reading
hitters and getting
digs oh hard hits."
Mielcarz said.
Junior Kim
Freedman, was named
to the first team along
with Mielcarz.
The Quakertown native led the team in
kill average and was Patriot League
Offensive and Defensive Player of the week
this season.
"We call Kim the "Terminator", Coach
Nicholas said.   "Her job is evolving and
she has the green light on all the balls."
Another junior, setter Patty Watson was
Patty Watson
selected to the second team.
Watson said from the outset of
the season, she wanted to stand out
among the seven setters in the
league.
"At the beginning of the year
my personal goal was to lead the
league in assists."   Watson said.
Watson lead the league in assist
average (11.5) from the start to the
end of the season.
Also, Watson finished fifth in
the Patriot League in digs and was
the only setter in the rankings.
"I'm very happy for Patty,"
Coach Nicholas said.   "She is the
best setter in conference."
Nicholas said he was excited for
not only the three, but the entire
team.
"They are starting to see the
sacrifice for their hard work."