by Matt Paulson
Sports Editor
After her performance in the Whittier Tournament, held Sept. 6-7, sophomore volleyball player Amy Kratochvil was honored with the first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Female Athlete of the Week award for 2002-2003.
Kratochvil accumulated 56 kills and 60 digs in just four matches. She averaged 4.3 kills and 4.6 digs per game in the tournament, where the Leopards took second after a loss to regional rival Cal State Hayward.
This award is just another highlight on Kratochvil’s list of attainments she has gathered as a Leopard.
Kratochvil’s achievements include West Region Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Tournament Team in the National Tournament and even a spot in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd for her performance in the National Tournament.
“Her all-around game is at a higher level than it was last year,” head coach Don Flora said. “Offensively, she hits a heavy ball. Defensively, her anticipation and reaction time is above the norm.”
Flora continued to say that Kratochvil is simply “fun to watch at the outside hitting position.”
Kratochvil sung endless praise to her teammates for everything she has been awarded on an individual level.
She said that it is “nice to get awards,” but it is nothing without a team backing her up. “I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did if it weren’t for my teammates.”
As a sophomore, with this season in its initial stage, Kratochvil has, in essence, three years to improve on her paramount freshman performance for the Leopards and to add inches to her list of accolades.
