(Ann Arbor, MI) The Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference announced the women's volleyball all-conference awards on Thursday afternoon and several Cardinals received honors. Head coach Danielle Cook was named this year's Champions of Character Coach along with Tara Schatzle (JR/Brooklyn, MI) being the team's Champions of Character representative. Seven others earned all-academic honors from the conference.
The NAIA and the WHAC strive to have their coaches and athletes exemplify the five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. Coach Cook is in her second year at the helm of the Concordia Volleyball program, and has been awarded the Champions of Character title for both of those seasons. In 2019, she led a team that nearly doubled their win total from the year prior all while promoting the core values of the Champions of Character program. Cook was made the Champions of Character Coach through a vote by the other head coaches in the WHAC.
Junior libero Tara Schatzle was named Concordia's representative to the Champions of Character team for exemplifying those values as well. A leader on and off the court, Schatzle more than doubled her totals in digs, service aces, and assists from last season.
The WHAC recognizes student-athletes that are of at least junior status academically and maintain a 3.25 cumulative GPA to the All-Academic team. The Cardinals had seven student-athletes placed on the all-academic team; Delaney Bennett (SR/Fruitport, MI), Gabrielle den Boer (JR/Canton, MI), Nicole Evans (JR/Bristol, IN), Hailey McCourt (JR/Toledo, OH), Tara Schatzle, Jennifer Smith (SR/Frankemuth, MI), and Denae Tolu (SR/Canton, MI).
