Falcon Volleyball WIAC Scholar-Athletes
The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to the most outstanding senior from each conference sport during the year who exhibits the greatest combination of performance and achievement in academics, athletics and leadership. The Women's Scholar-Athlete Award was renamed the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award effective with the 1998-99 season.

Melissa Mattson 2000 Middle Hitter Alden, Minn. Alden-Conger High School Melissa Mattson was the first Falcon named the WIAC Scholar-Athlete. She earned the award after the 2000 season. Mattson had an illustrious career in the Falcon red and white. The Alden, Minn., native culminated her success with an outstanding senior season in 2000. Not only did Mattson win the 2000 Scholar-Athlete award, she was also named the league's Player of the Year. The middle hitter was named an AVCA All-American and she earned AVCA All-Midwest Region honors. She earned the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-American honor and was named to the All-WIAC first team. Mattson led the team with 578 kills and had a .371 kill percentage. Her kill percentage is the best in a single season. She also led the Falcons in blocks (29), block assists (88) and total blocks (117). She was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year. In 1999 she was named to the first All-WIAC team and was the team's Offensive Player of the Year. She earned AVCA All-American honors and was named to the ACVA All-Midwest Region squad. Mattson finished the season with 406 kills and she led the team with a .304 kill percentage. She had 19 solo and 78 block assists. The Falcons won the WIAC championship. In her sophomore season in 1998 she was named to the first All-WIAC team after leading the Falcons in kills (424) and hitting percentage (.314). She finished the season with 30 solo and 114 total blocks. Mattson is the UWRF career kill percentage leader (.329). She is second in career kills (1,519), third in career kill attempts (3,441), fifth in career block assists (318) and fifth in career games (473). Mattson, who was named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll in all four years of her collegiate career, was a dedicated member of several UWRF and Wisconsin committees. She served on the UW-RF Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the Wisconsin Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Club, the Recreation and Wellness Committee and the Health & Human Performance Facilities committee. She worked in the UW-RF weight room and has been a Girl Scout volunteer.

Melissa Tvrdik
2003
Outside Hitter
Farwell, Minn.
Minnewaska Area High School

Melissa Tvrdik won the top two individual awards given by the WIAC when she was named the league's Most Valuable Player and the sport's Scholar-Athlete in 2003.

Tvrdik led the team with a .358 hitting percentage and finished with 457 kills, second on the team. She led the Falcons with 50 aces and with 131 total blocks. She finished with 191 digs.

The Farwell, Minn., native was one of UW-RF's top career players. She is sixth in career kills (1,209), eighth in career kill attempts (2,709), second in career kill percentage (.321) and third in career block assists (337). UW-RF won two WIAC titles (2002, 2003) and competed in the NCAA Div. III tournament in 2000 and 2003. She had double digits in kills in 68 of 111 career matches played. She had double-digit kills and double digit digs in seven career matches.

In 2003 she was the UWRF Player of the Week four times and was the WIAC Player of the Week once.

She led team in kill percentage (.358), solo blocks (19), block assists (112) and total blocks (131). She had a career high 14 digs against Nebraska-Wesleyan (Oct. 10) and Whitewater (Sept. 20). Tvrdik had double digit kills in 30 of 39 matches and had double digit kills and digs in six matches.

In 2002, she was named the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player and was named to the All-WIAC first team. She was named to the AVCA All-Midwest Region team and then was named to the AVCA second All-American team. She was named the UW-RF Player of the Week four times. Tvrdik led team in kill percentage (.345), solo blocks (17), block assists (116), and total blocks (133). She had her career high kill match (21) vs. Trinity on Oct. 26, 2002 and had double digit kills in 24 of 39 matches. She had double digit kills and digs once.

In 2001, she was named the team's Most Valuable Player and was given honorable mention to the All-WIAC squad. She was named the UWRF Player of the Week three times. She led the Falcons in kill percentage (.261), solo blocks (14), block assists (97) and total blocks (111). She had double digit kills in 14 of 33 matches.

In 2000 Tvrdik was named the team's Most Improved Player.

Tvrdik's accomplishments in the classroom have been just as impressive. She majored in psychology with a minor in sociology and maintained a 3.795 grade point average. She was a four-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and was named to UWRF Dean's List every semester at the University. Tvrdik earned an academic scholarship from the school's psychology department. Tvrdik was a member of Psi Chi National Honor Society and served as its vice president. She also worked with autistic children.

Nina Petersen
2004
Right Side Hitter
Byron, Minn.
Byron High School

Nina Petersen, a right side hitter, was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2004 and 2003 and earned honorable mention in 2002. She led the Falcons in 2004 with 462 kills, averaging 3.4 per match.

She had a .227 hitting percentage. She finished her four-year career with 1,217 kills, fifth on the Falcon all-time career kill list. Petersen finished fifth in career kill attempts with 3,235. She led the Falcons in 2004 with 48 service aces and 134 total blocks. She had 16 solo and 118

block assists. The 118 block assists in sixth all time in a single season and she is second in career block assists (341). She finished with 87 set assists and 354 digs. She had double digit kills in 28 of the 35 matches she competed in this year. She had a season high 26 kills against Buena Vista. In a win over Northwestern, she had 16 kills, 13 digs and 10 blocks.

The Byron, Minn., native also excelled in the classroom and in other activities. She majored in biology with a minor in psychology. She was named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll in all four years of her collegiate career. Petersen was named to the UWRF's Dean's List in every semester but one. She earned Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Honors. Petersen was the team's captain in 2004 and helped lead the 2002 and 2003 Falcons to the WIAC regular season championships. She was an active member in the UW-RF Student Advisory Athletic Council.

Kat Krtnick
2006
Setter
Fridley, Minn.
Fridley High School

Kat Krtnick was named to the first All-WIAC team for the second straight season.

Krtnick, the team's setter, led the Falcons with 1,645 assists. That total was third all time in a single season. She ended her career with 4,297 assists which is third on the career all-time list. She was second on the team with 522 digs which is the seventh most in a single season. She established a career digs record with 1,799. She had 126 kills, 32 aces and 58 blocks. Krtnick was named the team's Player of the Week once in 2006.

Krtnick not only performed well on the floor throughout her career, but she did outstanding work in the classroom and in the campus community.

She's compiled a 3.768 cumulative grade point average while majoring in biomedical sciences and marketing. She will earn minors in professional writing, business and government. Krtnick has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll after the 2004, 2005 and 2006 school years. She has been named to the UWRF Dean's List after every semester (six). She earned the Kenneth M. White (2004) and Marcel K. Lynum (2004, 2005) scholarships. Krtnick has earned freshman, sophomore and junior merit.

Krtnick, who earned honorable mention to the All-WIAC team in 2004, was ranked 13th in the Oct. 22 NCAA Div. III statistics report in assists per game (12.21). She helped the Falcons win the 2003 WIAC championship and was named the team's Rookie of the Year that season. In 2004 and 2005 she was named the team's Hardest Worker and in 2005 she was named the team's Co-Player of the Year. Krtnick has been a team captain in 2005 and 2006. She has been named the team's Player of the Week seven times in her career.

This year she is a Student Senate athletic representative. She has been a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee throughout her career at UWRF. She has been the chair of the Recreation Committee (2004-06), a member of the health & human performance department Facilities Committee (2005-06), a member of the Facilities and Fees Board (2005-07) and a member of the Bookstore Committee (2005-06). Krtnick has worked as a special events and promotions manager of the Recreation staff. Krtnick worked for the UWRF public affairs office as a marketing communications and journalism intern during the 2005 and 2006 Kansas City Chiefs Summer Training camp.

"Kat is very deserving of the WIAC Scholar-Athlete award. She excels in all areas of her life," said Falcon Coach Patti Ford. "She exemplifies the true meaning of a Div. III student-athlete. She is a great student, a great athlete and she is committed to UWRF through her involvement in several University activities."

The Falcons finished 24-13 overall and 4-4 in the WIAC. They advanced to the WIAC tournament semifinals.

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