Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Volleyball Announces Team Awards
5/1/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
May 1, 2012
Best offensive player: Kadija Fornah
This award recognizes the student-athlete who made a significant contribution to the team's success through her offensive play.
Fornah led the Wake Forest attack all season, starting all 30 matches and pacing the team with 395 kills (3.50 kills per set). She also finished the year with 11 aces as well as eight double-doubles, contributing from the front and back lines. Her 21 kills versus Clemson propelled her into the 1,000-kill club, as she became just the eighth Wake Forest volleyball player to reach the milestone on September 23, 2011. She will graduate with a degree in psychology in May.
Best defensive player: Carlin Salmon
This award recognizes the student-athlete who made a significant contribution through her defensive play.
Salmon, who hails from Wildwood, Mo., and will be graduating in May with a degree in communication, finished second on the team with 292 kills in 2011. Additionally, she was the lone Deacon to reach triple digits in total blocks with a team-leading 121. She and fellow senior Kadija Fornah were the only two players to appear in every set for Wake Forest. Salmon was also instrumental in the upset over Duke on Sep. 16 as she had, arguably, her best match of the year with season-highs in kills (21), aces (3) and digs (4). She will graduate in May with a degree in communication, as well as minors in studio art and film studies.
Rookie of the Year: Danae Rosendall
This award recognizes the player who, in her first year of competition at Wake Forest made major contributions to the success of the team.
Rosendall was placed into the starting lineup as Wake's setter in her very first collegiate match and performed very well in that position throughout the season, finishing with 1,104 assists. Like Salmon, she played a key role in upsetting Duke thanks to her 49 assists. She would go on to total 13 matches with 40 or more assists; her best outing of the year came against VCU when she notched 64. Rosendall, a native of Hudsonville, Mich., posted strong numbers in other categories as well. She was fourth on the squad with 193 digs and 53 total blocks and finished sixth overall with 95 kills.
Most Valuable Player: Andrea Beck
This award recognizes the student-athlete who by virtue of her athletic talents made the most visible impact on the team during the season. This honoree's contributions were deemed the most valuable in achieving the teams' goals.
Despite missing the season's first 10 matches, Beck still managed to finish with 271 kills and a .314 hitting percentage, second only to Salmon's .324. The junior biology major led the team with 22 aces and also registered 62 digs and 54 blocks over the course of the season. Her 26 kills against VCU on Nov. 1 were a new career-high and helped her to earn a spot on the All-ACC team for the second consecutive season. The Winston-Salem native will look to carry her stellar momentum into the 2012 season as it kicks off in the fall.
Dedication Award: Andrea Beck
This award, given by Volleyball Strength Coach, is for the athlete who shows the most discipline and hard work in the areas of strength and conditioning. This player shows a positive attitude and focus while in the weight room and their improvement is a reflection of their determination.
Deacon Award: Madison Vain
This award is presented to the athlete that has shown perseverance through any situation on and off the court. This person never gives up and shows that determination in all aspects of their lives. When given a challenge or difficult situation whether in volleyball or in their life, this person shows courage and resolve.
As a senior, appeared in seven matches with one start and recorded six kills on the season. Vain saw action in two matches at the 2011 Deacon Invitational and tallied two kills on her only two swings, adding a block versus North Florida on September 4. She will graduate with a degree in English in May.
