Nov. 25, 2008

Allendale, Mich. - GVSU senior middle blocker Danielle Alexander was named the Daktronics Midwest Region Player of the Year on Monday (Nov. 24) by the region's sports information directors. It is the second year in a row that Alexander has been named to the Daktronics All-Region Team, as she was a second-team selection in 2007.

Senior setter Jamie Ashmore and sophomore middle blocker Rebeccah Rapin were honored on the all-region second team - it is the first citation for each player. The Lakers were one of three schools (Wayne State & Indianapolis) to have three all-region performers. Both the first and second team had seven players on each unit.

Alexander was also named the GLIAC Player of the Year and is the first GVSU player to own that distinction since 2003. She helped lead the Lakers to a 26-3 regular season record and a 15-1 GLIAC mark. Grand Valley State won all six of its matches at the GLIAC and Midwest Regional tournaments and Alexander was named to both all-tournament teams.

The senior from Newport, Mich. was named the GLIAC North Division Player of the Week three times and became the first GVSU player to ever be named the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week. Alexander enters the NCAA Elite Eight next weekend hitting .325 and has tallied 413 kills and 148 total blocks. In program history, Alexander is first in block assists (393), third in total blocks (454), ninth in kills per game (3.41), and 10th in kills (1,146).

Ashmore was named the GLIAC Tournament most valuable player and was also honored as an all-tournament selection at the Midwest Regional. For the first time in her career, she was named to the All-GLIAC First Team, after being a second team choice each of the last two years. Ashmore ranks third in school history in assists (4,995), fifth in assists per game (10.07), and seventh in digs (1,148) and service aces (191).

Rapin is a first-time member to the Daktronics team. She was also tabbed as an All-GLIAC First Team selection, after being named the 2007 GLIAC and Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year. Rapin is currently second on the team in kills (311), hitting percentage (.304), and blocks (110), while leading the Lakers in solo blocks (21). In her first two years as a Laker, Rapin owns a .327 hitting percentage.

#3 Grand Valley State, now 32-3 overall, heads to the NCAA Elite Eight on Dec. 4-6 at Concordia-St. Paul in St. Paul, Minn. The Lakers will face Armstrong Atlantic, winners of the Southeast Region, on Dec. 4 at 6:00 Eastern Standard time.