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FLORIDA NOTEBOOK

Cruz a candidate for Honda Sports Award

By DORIS YON Sun staff writer
Published: Wednesday, January 8, 2003 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 8, 2003 at 2:33 a.m.

Throughout the volleyball season, Florida outside hitter Aury Cruz racked up plenty of awards.

She repeated as the SEC Player of the Year and earned her second consecutive first-team All-American honor. The junior is hoping to nab one more honor next week.

Cruz is a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for volleyball. The winner will be notified next week.

Joining Cruz on the ballot are Logan Tom of Stanford, Emily Adams of Southern Cal and Hawaii's Kim Willoughby. Tom was last season's Honda winner in volleyball and she is the two-time reigning national player of the year.

"Aury's performance this year put her in a league of those other players, and that's the elite of the elite in women's volleyball," coach Mary Wise said. "What makes her so good is that she can beat you in the front row or the back row. I think just to have her name in that mix of those players speaks volumes for her talent."

Statistically, Cruz averaged a team-best 4.62 kills and 3.11 digs a game. She also had 54 aces, another team high, and finished with a .319 hitting percentage.

Cruz led Florida to a 34-3 record and into the NCAA Tournament semifinals. The Gators finished the season ranked fourth in the final USA Today/AVCA Top 25, which was released Monday, and they return Cruz for next season.

"Aury's got a chance to put up huge numbers next year and have a long, successful career after college," Wise said.

A Honda Sports Award is given to an athlete in 12 NCAA women's sports. Each winner then becomes a nominee for the Honda-Broderick Cup, which recognizes the season's top collegiate woman athlete.

If Cruz wins the Honda Award, she will be the first UF volleyball player to win this particular honor. Jeni Jones was given the Honda Inspiration Award in 1999 after overcoming Guillian-Barre syndrome.

Several former Gators have been Honda winners in their respective sport, the last being Danielle Fotopoulos in soccer in 1998.

Speaking of ex-Gators, former volleyball standout Jenny Manz is playing in Greece with Zaon Kifissia's Athens.

  • EIGHT IS ENOUGH: The lineup shortage the women's tennis team has dealt with the past few seasons will not be a problem this spring.

    Boglarka Berecz has enrolled in spring classes and will be eligible to play with the Gators this spring.

    Berecz's addition brings the UF roster to eight players, the most the Gators have had since the 1999 season when they also fielded eight players. Florida has had the minimum six players the past two seasons.

    "It's certainly going to be different in that we have a much more even team," coach Roland Thornqvist said. "Not only do we have more players, but we have players that all of them are on the same ability. Last year we had a superstar; this year we don't have that superstar but we have players that are almost even from one through six. You can almost play our lineup invertedly and have the same results.

    "That's going to be our strength this year. We're going to be able to put out six players that are going to be six of the top 30 players in the country."

    Thornqvist said Berecz's game is similar to Zerene Reyes, the SEC Freshman of the Year last season.

    "(Berecz) has a good forehand; she's got a very good serve and she's very consistent," Thornqvist said.

    Berecz, a native of Budapest, Hungary, had signed a letter-of-intent with the Gators but was waiting for a qualifying SAT score before she could enroll at Florida.

    Berecz also could have an impact in the doubles lineup, even though the Gators were successful in doubles in the fall.

    "That's something we've got two weeks to figure out before we start play," Thornqvist said. "I was very comfortable with the three doubles teams we had in the fall, but we're going to see what happens in the next couple of weeks."

    In other tennis news, the USTA Men's and Women's $10,000 Satellite tournaments, scheduled to start Sunday at the Ring Tennis Complex, have been canceled. Due to possible NCAA rule conflicts, the tournaments cannot be held at UF.

  • HITHER AND YON: Former UF soccer stars Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts were invited to a U.S. National Team training camp, which starts Thursday. Players from the camp are vying for a spot to play in Sunday's exhibition match against Japan and the Four Nations Tournament, held Jan. 23-29 in China. Players also will be evaluated for the Women's World Cup Team for this summer.

    Doris Yon covers UF athletics for The Sun. You can reach her by calling (352) 374-5052 or by e-mail at yond@gvillesun.com.


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