See AVCA official release online
content below courtesy of Pepperdine University Athletics website and Colorado State Athletics website
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced on Wednesday the winners of the 2012-13 Grant Burger Media Awards. The AVCA expanded the media award’s scope this year by having a finalist in six different categories, and named as the overall winner the Colorado State University social media accounts. This is the first honor for any social media platform in Burger Media Award history.
The other category winners of Burger Media Awards include: broadcast (University of Central Missouri Athletics Broadcasting), print (Kevin Lonnquist of the
Fort Worth Star-Telegram), Web (USA Volleyball’s Bill Kauffman),
sports information/athletic communications (Pepperdine Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Dena Meiste), college student reporter (CJ Allard of WCRD/Ball State) and social media (Vinnie Lopes of Off the Block).
Colorado State University was originally nominated for its expanded social media efforts, including inside access to the program through daily updates and photos, promotional videos, and online contests.
The Burger honor recognizes those who have been involved in the advancement of the sport of volleyball. The award is named in honor of Grant Burger—former director of sports information and associate director of the AVCA from 1988-92—whose hard work, innovative mind, knowledge and enthusiasm took the areas of media relations and publications at the AVCA to a higher level and increased awareness of the sport of volleyball nationwide.
Previous winners of the top award include BYU TV, The Net Live, MaxPreps and Rich Kern, among others.
Grant Burger Media Award Category Finalists
Category Finalist Affiliation
Overall Colorado St. University Social Media Colorado State University
Broadcast UCM Athletics Broadcasting University of Central Missouri
Print Kevin Lonnquist
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Web Bill Kauffman USA Volleyball
Sports Info Dena Meiste Pepperdine University
College Student Reporter CJ Allard WCRD/Ball State University
Social Media Vinnie Lopes
Off the Block
Sports Information/athletic communications winner - Dena Meiste, Pepperdine
One of the unsung heroes of a volleyball season is the Sports Information Director, and Dena Meiste of Pepperdine University is one of the best. While most SIDs work either the men's or women's volleyball season (amongst other sports), Meiste works both men's and
women's indoor including the NCAA emerging sport, sand volleyball. She routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty to make sure Pepperdine's volleyball teams are in the forefront of the media whether it is social media, press releases, media interviews or any other medium.
More specifically in the sand game, she has truly shined as one of the leaders in a sport that doesn't have a precedent. She has taken the reigns to give the Waves a reputation for running one of the best home matches in the sand game, plus her ability to take comprehensive stats has helped catapult the sport to new heights.
"Dena is fantastic," said Pepperdine indoor women's and sand head coach Nina Matthies. "She's been great with sand volleyball and is setting the bar for how an SID should do things. She's blazing the trail with a new sport. Dena's been great about scores, stats, reporting, and all the stuff that needs to be done. She's been unbelievable getting us everything we need quickly, and the way we like it."
NCAA Division I Women's Sports Information Director Region Honorees
Central Region Tami Cutler Wichita State University
East Region Jimmy Gill University of Miami (Florida)
Mideast Region Kendra Willard Ohio State University
Midwest Region AJ Harrison University of Tulsa
Northeast Region Nancy Worley University of Louisville
Pacific Region Corinne Calabro Arizona State University
South Region Whitney Tarpy Western Kentucky University
West Region John Barry University of Hawai'i
NCAA Division II Women's Sports Information Director Region Honorees
Atlantic Region Katie Botsis Gannon University
Central Region Mike Knipper University of Central Missouri
East Region Matt McLagan Caldwell College
Midwest Region Matt Holmes University of Indianapolis
South Region Matt Rowley University of West Florida
South Central Region Colin Bonnicken Colorado School of Mines
Southeast Region Chad Jackson Armstrong Atlantic State University
West Region Paul Madison Western Washington University
NCAA Division III Women's Sports Information Director Region Honorees
Central Region Gene McGivern University of St. Thomas (MN)
Great Lakes Region Jeffrey Febus Calvin College
Mid-Atlantic Region Tim Brennan Salisbury University
Midwest Region Kevin Juday Elmhurst College
New England Region George Chapell Endicott College
New York Region Chris Rollman Richard Stockton College of NJ
South Region Kenny Kline Christopher Newport University
West Region Doug Aiken Chapman University
NCAA Division I-II Men's Sports Information Director Conference Honorees
EIVA Andrew Chesebro Harvard University
MIVA Jessica Souto Ball State University
MPSF Stacey Shackleford UC Irvine
Conference Carolinas David Shulimson Mount Olive College
NCAA Division III Men's Sports Information Director Conference Honorees
CUNYAC John Neves Baruch College
GNAC Kara McGillicuddy Mount Ida College
NECC Rob Palardy Endicott College
UVC Justin Lutes Stevens Institute of Technology
Skyline Ann King The Sage Colleges
CVC Steve Marovich Carthage College
NEAC Dan Benz SUNY IT
NCAA Sand Sports Information Director Honoree
Dena Meiste Pepperdine University
NAIA Sports Information Director Honoree
Brian Thiessen St. Ambrose University
Overall winner: Colorado State University's social media platform
This is the first time a social media account has received the top honor, which began in 1997-98.
On the court, Colorado State volleyball, under the direction of 17th-year head coach Rod Hilbert, is among the nation’s best, earning annual top-25 rankings and competing in 18 consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Behind the scenes, Colorado State has been able to leverage their popularity of the talented squad into the social space. Posting match recaps, postgame highlights, press conferences and behind the scenes content to add further exposure to the program, CSU also runs social media campaigns and themed events as well.
“Today’s social media applications have changed the landscape for sports like volleyball,” said AVCA executive director Kathy DeBoer. “The innovative gang at Colorado State really understands the concepts involved in engaging their fans and have found ways to include them in matches and the volleyball program. Colorado State University is at the head of the pack and gives us a model well worth emulating.”
Hilbert is a strong proponent of the use of social media, understanding the impact it has on fan support. The social media effort is coordinated by the
CSU marketing and sales staff and the media relations staff. The CSU media relations staff is led by Director of Media Relations Paul Kirk while Nic Hallisey, assistant director of media relations, serves as the volleyball contact.
“It gives us a connection with our fans and a daily window for them to look into our program,” Hilbert said. “People want to be able to open up their computer or turn on their phone and see what their friends are doing; CSU volleyball is one of their frie
nds, and they want to know what we’re doing.”
The support is displayed online as well as at Moby Arena. CSU annually is ranked among the national leaders in attendance figures, and last year drew a crowd close to 6,000 for its match vs. UCLA; just two programs drew larger single-match crowds in 2012.
Examples of CSU volleyball’s presence on social media include releases, photos and press conference video. The program takes it a step further, adding trivia contests, behind-the-scenes images and Social Media Night, which took place during the Rams’ Nov. 8 match vs. UNLV and included several perks, culminating with a trip for two to watch the Rams play in Boise, Idaho.
Additionally, CSU first released its 2013 schedule to its Twitter followers, and fans got an inside look to the 2012 Final Four in Louisville, Ky., as the All-America banquet, youth clinics, autograph sessions and national championship match were all documented through photo galleries and video.
CSU sent a school representative with a camera to document the experience of AVCA All-American Dana Cranston's trip to the AVCA Convention and Final Four last year in Louisville, KY. The representative captured the All-America banquet, a youth clinic at the YMCA, the All-American autograph session and the championship match. After the weekend was through, multiple Facebook albums from their trip were created to give fans the "insider" experience of one of the best players in the country.
“What this award shows is that CSU volleyball is on the cutting edge of what people are doing for the sport of volleyball,” Hilbert said. “There’s a respect for the sport here, which means we get full commitment from the department as a whole.”
Colorado State volleyball social media links
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csuvolleyball
Twitter: www.twitter.com/csuvolleyball
YouTube: channel link
Vine: Linked to Twitter account
Instagram: (the CSU athletics department has one joint Instagram account - no specific volleyball account)