Howe and Eckhardt Named to 2009 All-RMAC Volleyball Teams

Colorado Springs, Colo.: Juniors Jessica Howe and Devin Eckhardt were named to the 2009 All-RMAC Volleyball Second and Third Teams respectively as announced today by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference office.

Howe, an outside hitter from Pueblo, Colo., received second team accolades for the second straight season.  This season she is fourth in the RMAC averaging 3.58 kills per set and 3.98 points per set.  This season she has 20 double figure kill matches and 49 for her career.  Howe also has four matches of 20-or-more kills for a total of nine for her career.  Howe was a Third Team AVCA All-American last season after leading the Rangers to the RMAC Tournament Championship.  Howe set her career high this season with 26 kills against Western State on October 15th.

Howe has already put her mark on the Ranger record book.  Going into this weekend she is ninth in career attack percentage with a .267 percentage.  Her 3.12 career kill per set average is 13th best in Regis history and with just six more kills she will become just the 20th player in Regis history to collect 1,000.

Eckhardt, the Rangers setter for the last three seasons is from LaSalle, Colo.  Eckhardt has played in every play in three seasons for Regis and is fourth in the RMAC averaging 10.06 assists per set.  Not only just a good setter but one of the best defenders for Regis, Eckhardt is fourth on the team in digs per set (2.02) and blocks (0.53).  She has six double-doubles this season and 27 for her career.  Last season Eckhardt was also named to the All-RMAC Third Team and was also a member of the RMAC All-Tournament Team.

Eckhardt has also left a notch in the Regis record books.  Her 10.86 career assist per set average is fourth best in Regis history and her 3,485 assists are fifth most in a career.   Also one of the best servers in Regis history, Eckhardt is ninth all-time with a .924 service percentage.

Nikki Scott of conference champion Nebraska-Kearney was named the RMAC Player of the Year.  RMAC Defensive Player of the Year went to Amy Watanabe of Metro State, while Tara King of Mesa State took home the RMAC Setter of the Year award.  RMAC Freshman of the Year went to upstart UC-Colorado Springs' Laura Brodie.  The RMAC Coach of the Year was shared this season by UNK's Rick Squiers and RMAC regular season runner-up Mesa State's Dave Fleming.

Regis heads into the RMAC Tournament with a 14-13 record and will take on cross town rival and 23rd-ranked Metro State on Thursday at 12:00 p.m., central time, in Kearney, Neb.

Click here for full RMAC release.