AVCA Division III All-Region Honors Announced

AVCA Division III All-Region Teams

Great Lakes Region
Emily Bell*** - WIT, OH, Sr.
Jackie Williams** - WIT, RS/Opp, Jr.

Great Lakes Region Honorable Mention:
Jan Kehres (WIT, OH, Sr.)
Megan Taylor (HIR, S/H, Sr.)

2007 AVCA Division III Region Coaches of the Year

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The following coaches have been selected by their respective regions as the 2007 AVCA Division III Region Coaches of the Year. Each of the honorees will represent their region on the 2007 AVCA National Coach of the Year ballot. The awards will be officially presented at the 2007 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 13, at the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association Annual Convention.

AVCA Division III Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year
Paco Labrador, Wittenberg University
2007 Record: 34-0, 14-0 North Coast Athletic Conference

In his fifth season as the head coach of Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio), Paco Labrador has continued a storied volleyball tradition at the institution, leading the Tigers to their fourth consecutive 30-win season in 2007. Wittenberg began the season as the preseason No. 2 team in the CSTV/AVCA Division III Coaches Top 25 poll, but has since claimed the No. 1 spot for four-consecutive polls, dethroning defending national champion Juniata along the way. In 2007, Labrador has guided the Tigers to a 34-0 record, along with a 14-0 mark in North Coast Athletic Conference action, marking the first time in history an NCAC team has finished the regular season with an unbeaten overall record. Wittenberg has been the No. 1 team in each of the three NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region rankings in 2007 and hosted the NCAA Division III Tournament Great Lakes Regional. The Tigers are making their 13th NCAA Appearance - 12th in a row - and have reached the NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 16 eight times, the national quarterfinals four of the last five years and the national semifinals each of the last two years under the guidance of Labrador. The Wittenberg mentor, whose teams have earned AVCA Team Academic Awards in each of his seasons as coach, has compiled a career mark of 166-23 at the helm of the Tigers. This honor marks the second AVCA Division III Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year award for Labrador, with the other coming during the 2004 season.