Chris Catanach, Danielle Faggion Earn Top Silver Anniversary Honors
February 9, 2007

Chris Catanach, Danielle Faggion Earn Top Silver Anniversary Honors

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference announced its Silver Anniversary Volleyball Team, naming 20 student-athletes and one coach to the group. University of Tampa head coach Chris Catanach was honored as the top coach while Danielle Faggion earned the Top Player Award. Kim Dix, Dawn Rawlins, Ania Ruiz and Ericka Womack also joined Faggion as selections to the group.

Voting for the squad, which recognizes the Conference's first 25 years of competition in the sport of women's volleyball, was conducted among the athletic directors at each of the SSC's nine member institutions. Although the SSC was founded as a men's basketball conference prior to the 1975-76 season, volleyball was added as a championship sport in the 1981-82 academic year. SSC Silver Anniversary teams have been previously selected in men's basketball, baseball, men's golf, men's tennis, men's soccer and men's and women's cross country. SSC Silver Anniversary teams in women's basketball, softball and women's tennis will be selected later this year.

Catanach has amassed a sparkling resume in 23 seasons at his alma mater. In addition to guiding his Spartans to the 2006 NCAA Division II championship, Catanach's teams have captured 16 SSC Championships and 10 NCAA Division II South Region championships. A member of both the SSC and University of Tampa Halls of Fame, Catanach has compiled a 721-143 overall record, which ranks third among NCAA Division II coaches in career victories. His .834 career winning percentage is the highest among active coaches. Catanach has been honored as SSC Coach of the Year 13 times, a conference record for any one coach in any one sport, South Region Coach of the Year 10 times and National Coach of the Year twice.

Faggion, a member of the SSC and University of Tampa Halls of Fame, is one of the most accomplished players to ever wear the Spartan colors. The SSC's all-time career leader with 6,213 assists, Faggion's accomplishments are numerous. A member of four SSC championship teams, Faggion capped off her career as the 1999 SSC Player of the Year and the 1999-2000 SSC Female Athlete of the Year. The four-time AVCA All-American, who was twice selected to the first team, was also a four-time All-SSC and AVCA All-Region selection. In addition to her prowess as a setter, Faggion also possessed tremendous ability on defense, amassing 1,257 career digs, which ranks fifth in Tampa history and 13th all-time in the conference. Her 223 career service aces is second all-time at Tampa and also stands sixth in the Sunshine State Conference.

Dix, a member of the SSC and UT Halls of Fame, was a 1990 second-team All-American and 1991 first-team All-American. The 1991 SSC Player of the Year was also a four-time All-South Region selection. She was also honored as a 1988 second-team all-SSC, 1989 first-team all-SSC, 1990 first-team all-SSC and 1991 first-team all-SSC player. She was also part of two SSC championship teams at UT. While playing in 567 career games, she accumulated 1,870 career kills, 4,136 career attacks, 199 career solo blocks, 399 career block assists and 598 career total blocks. Dix currently ranks first in UT history in career games played, second in UT career kills, second in SSC career kills, second in UT career attacks, first in UT career solo blocks, second in UT career block assists, first in UT career total blocks and second in SSC career total blocks.

Rawlins, a middle hitter, is also a member of the UT Hall of Fame. She was a 1996 second-team All-American and 1998 second-team All-American. A three-time all-South Region (1996-98) performer, Rawlins was also a 1996 second-team all-SSC, 1997 first-team all-SSC and 1998 first-team all-SSC choice. She also excelled in the classroom, earning the 1997 SSC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 1998 SSC Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. Rawlins was also a part of three SSC championship squads. She left UT with 136 career solo blocks, 334 career block assists, 470 career total blocks, a .407 hitting percentage (1998), 64 solo blocks (1996), 134 block assists (1996) and 198 total blocks (1996). She goes down as fifth in UT career solo blocks, fourth in UT career block assists, fourth in UT career total blocks, ninth in SSC career blocks, third in UT single-season solo blocks (1996), second in UT single season block assists (1996), second in UT total blocks (1996), 11th in SSC attack percentage (1998), 6th in SSC single-season blocks (1996) and 3rd in SSC single-season blocks per game (1.56).

Ruiz excelled at Outside Hitter for the Spartans and was a four-time All-American. She was a second-team All-American in 2000and earned first-team All-American honors in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The 2001 SSC Player of the Year, Ruiz was a four-time all-South Region performer and the 2000 South Region Freshman of the Year. Additionally, she was the 2000 SSC Freshman of the Year, 2000 first-team all-SSC, 2001 first-team all-SSC, 2002 first-team all-SSC, 2003 first-team all-SSC and a member of the 2000 SSC all-freshman team. She also played on four SSC championship teams. She compiled 1,925 career kills, 4,216 career attacks and 548 kills (2002). She currently ranks first in UT career kills, first in SSC career kills, first in UT career attacks and third in UT single-season kills (2002). Ruiz also became the second UT volleyball player to be four-time All-American, joining Faggion on the list.

Womack was a fixture at the middle hitter position from 2002-05, earning 2004 second-team All-American and 2005 first-team All-American honors. She was also a three-time all-South Region performer and the 2005 South Region Player of the Year. The 2005 SSC Player of the Year was also named 2002 second-team all-SSC, 2003 second-team all-SSC, 2004 first-team all-SSC and 2005 first-team all-SSC. She was also a member of the 2002 SSC all-freshman team while playing for three SSC championship Spartan teams. She left UT with a .376 career hitting percentage, 313 career block assists and a .441 hitting percentage (2005). She ranks second in UT career hitting percentage, fifth in UT career block assists, second in UT attack percentage (2005) and third in SSC attack percentage (2005). She is also the only UT player to be named South Region Player of the Year.