Meet the Pack
Ernst earned All-American honors for Madison College volleyball team
Matt Daniels
Issue date: 1/27/10 Section: Sports
Melissa Ernst is a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III First Team All-American from the 2009 Madison Area Technical College volleyball team. She is the sixth volleyball player to earn All-American honors in school history. She was also an All-Region selection and an All-Tournament selection for the Region IV Tournament and the NJCAA Division III Tournament. Ernst led the WolfPack in both kills (333) and digs (269) this past season. Her 333 kills ranks third all-time at Madison College for kills in a single season. Ernst also ranks second all-time in school history in kills in a single match (23) and fourth in career kills (411).
How does it feel to receive All-American honors?
Obviously great, it's an honor that I definitely appreciate being recognized for and I'm glad I can represent the school well.
How important were your teammates in receiving the honors?
They were extremely important this year. Volleyball is definitely a team sport and it takes all aspects of the game to come together. It's definitely not an individual sport and we had a fun year.
How do you compare the All-American honors to other achievements in your life?
It's one of the milestones that are especially important, the highest accolade you can get. It's definitely up there with the club honors I've gotten and going to nationals for the first time when I was a freshman in high school. It's as important as academic honors and that type of achievement.
What is your prediction for the volleyball team next year?
I think it's going to be really exciting to see them next year and in the years to come. There are some great returning players now that have that taste of nationals, so they'll want to get back there. Once you've been there you always want to go back. I think that attitude will definitely be there and just from talking to Coach Parker I know that recruiting has been pretty exciting this year because people are obviously more interested in programs that have success.
How does it feel to receive All-American honors?
Obviously great, it's an honor that I definitely appreciate being recognized for and I'm glad I can represent the school well.
How important were your teammates in receiving the honors?
They were extremely important this year. Volleyball is definitely a team sport and it takes all aspects of the game to come together. It's definitely not an individual sport and we had a fun year.
How do you compare the All-American honors to other achievements in your life?
It's one of the milestones that are especially important, the highest accolade you can get. It's definitely up there with the club honors I've gotten and going to nationals for the first time when I was a freshman in high school. It's as important as academic honors and that type of achievement.
What is your prediction for the volleyball team next year?
I think it's going to be really exciting to see them next year and in the years to come. There are some great returning players now that have that taste of nationals, so they'll want to get back there. Once you've been there you always want to go back. I think that attitude will definitely be there and just from talking to Coach Parker I know that recruiting has been pretty exciting this year because people are obviously more interested in programs that have success.
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