WU sweeps MIAA honors

Sept. 14, 2004 -
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics announced Tuesday that Washburn middle hitter Katie Brandt and setter Julie Sackman were named Wilson/MIAA Volleyball Players of the Week. Brandt was named MIAA Hitter of the Week, while Sackman was named MIAA Specialist of the Week for the second straight week. The duo led Washburn to four victories last week to improve the squad's school record start to 12-0.

Brandt, a 6-foot-1 senior from Chicago, Ill., earned Most Valuable Player honors at the West Florida Invitational last weekend, helping the No. 24 Lady Blues win three matches over regional opponents.

She hit .400 (50 kills, 8 errors, 105 attempts) and averaged 4.31 points per game for Washburn on the week, and hit .413 (41-5-89) while averaging 4.7 points per game at the UWF Tournament.

Against the host Lady Argonauts, Brandt hit .536 (19-0-36) and averaged 5.38 points in a 3-1 win. In a sweep of Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), she hit .483 (17-3-29) and averaged 6.5 points. Her 19 kills against West Florida were a career high.

Brandt graduated from Resurrection High School.

Sackman, a 5-foot-10 sophomore from Independence, Mo., hit .405 (19 kills, 4 errors, 37 attempts) and averaged 12.67 assists, 2.12 points, 0.67 blocks and 2.58 digs as No. 24 Washburn went 4-0 last week.

She hit .500 (9-1-16) and had 56 assists (14.0 per game) with three block assists and 14 digs in the Lady Blues’ 3-1 win over West Florida in the UWF Tournament Friday (Sept. 10).

She had 41 assists (13.66 per game) in the sweep of Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) at UWF, and 25 assists (12.5 per game) in only two games of a 3-0 sweep of William Woods (Mo.) on Tuesday (Sept. 7).

Sackman is a graduate of Blue Springs High School.