The All-Decade Team was compiled by staff from D3hoops.com All-American teams.
Guard Jayme Anderson
Beloit/UW-Eau Claire, 1997-2000
All-American years: 1998 (3rd with Beloit), 1999 (3rd
with UW-Eau Claire), 2000 (1st)
Conference honors: 2000 WIAC Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1998 (first round), 1999 (second round), 2000 (Sweet 16)
What others say: "She made
everyone comfortable and at ease because she loved the game so much
that she ‘just played’ for the love of the game. She
played with style and grace and always a smile. It was a true joy
to coach such a wonderful person."
– Lisa Stone, former UW-Eau Claire coach
Career synopsis: It’s not easy to excel in any basketball program, but Jayme Anderson did so at three. She began her career at Beloit, earning All-American honors with the Buccaneers as a freshman. She then transferred to UW-Eau Claire where she picked up two more All-American honors. When Blugolds coach Lisa Stone moved to Division I Drake, Anderson joined her and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year. Now at UW-Madison, Stone calls Anderson "one of the finest women’s basketball players I ever coached." According to Stone, Anderson currently teaches elementary school and "is amazing in the classroom. She relates so well and delivers her message in a warm and comforting way. She is funny, caring and is a Big Kid at heart. This is how she played."
Guard Alison Grubbs
Lake Forest, 1997-2001
All-American years: 1999 (HM), 2000 (2nd), 2001 (1st)
Conference honors: 1998 Player of the Year, 2000 Player of the Year, 2001 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2000 (first round), 2001 (first round)
Other honors: 2001 Jostens Trophy Winner … 2000 Jostens Award Finalist
What others say: "What I will
remember most (about Alison) is her unwavering work ethic,
competitiveness, and drive to succeed. I remember saying over and
over to our coaching staff that ‘Grubbs just gets it’.
Never have I had a player that practiced as much or as hard as
Alison did."
– Jackie Slaats, Lake Forest coach
Career synopsis: Grubbs was a quintessential Division III student-athlete, committed to her sport and her academics. On the court, she led the Foresters to an 80-16 overall record including a dominating 55-6 mark in MWC play. Off the court, she held a 3.7 grade point average with a double-major in Biology and Secondary Education. "Coaching Alison Grubbs, without question, has been one of the greatest highlights of my 22 year coaching career," says Slaats. "She was truly something special and everyone who knows anything about Lake Forest basketball, and especially our opponents, will never forget her name."
Forward Tara Rausch
Wilmington, 2000-2004
All-American years: 2003 (3rd), 2004 (1st)
Conference honors: 2003 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2002 (Elite 8), 2003 (Sweet 16), 2004 (National Champions)
Other honors: 2004 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player…2004 Jostens Award Finalist
What others say: "Tara was an
outstanding athlete who played both ends of the court. She had
great hands and was the fastest post player I have ever coached.
But what made Tara special was her desire to compete."
-- Jerry Scheve, Wilmington coach
Career synopsis: Rausch sparked one of the more unlikely runs to a national championship with her fiery play, determination and scoring ability. At the end of the 2004 regular season, Wilmington was unranked. Three weeks later they were hoisting the Walnut and Bronze, in large part due to Rausch’s play. "What made Tara special was her desire to compete," Scheve recalls. "At half time of our national championship game we were struggling but she delivered a message to her teammates that losing was not going to be an option. She sent the same message to our opponent by blocking their first two shots out of bounds. That definitely set the tone for our comeback." The comeback ended with Rausch and the Quaker Crazies celebrating a national title.
Forward Christina Vouriotis
Messiah, 1999-2003
All-American years: 2001 (3rd), 2002 (2nd), 2003
(2nd)
Conference honors: 2001 Player of the Year, 2002 Player of the Year, 2003 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2000 (Second Round), 2001 (National Runners-up), 2002 (Second Round), 2003 (Elite 8)
What others say: "Christina was
the first one into the gym and the last to leave. Christina gave
everything she had in every practice and game throughout her stint
at Messiah College. Christina single-handedly raised the bar of
excellence in our program."
– Mike Miller, Messiah coach
Career synopsis: Vouriotis is known as "T" around the Messiah program. That could stand for "two," because she certainly notched her share of points, finishing as the school’s all-time scoring leader (1,702). Or maybe the T stands for "tough" since she also picked up Messiah’s school record for career rebounds (862). Then again, perhaps T most appropriately stands for the team she lead. "She is easily the most humble, yet confident person I have ever coached," says Miller. "Although she received many individual honors, she always put ‘team’ first. The successes that we have had for the last eight years is a direct correlation to the efforts and abilities of the person we still affectionately call ‘T.’"
Center Kelsey Duoss
UW-Stout, 2004-07
All-American years: 2006 (1st), 2007 (1st)
Conference honors: 2006 Player of the Year, 2007 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2005 (Elite 8), 2006 (Sweet 16), 2007 (first round)
What others say: "She's athletic
and she's a very good finisher around the basket. She adds a new
dimension that we haven't had."
– Mark Thomas, UW-Stout coach, during her playing days
Career synopsis: The hallmark of UW-Stout basketball has been a relentless, pressing style with waves of perimeter scorers pushing their opponents up and down the floor. As we reported in 2006, Duoss added a different dimension to the attack: "What’s changed, just a little bit, is the style of offense, thanks in no small part to Kelsey Duoss. The 6-2 junior averages 19.0 points per game, more than five points per game higher than any Blue Devil since before 1998-99." At her height, Duoss could play effectively in transition and on the block. Speaking of blocks, she had lots of them – 258 to set the WIAC record. Duoss’ playing days aren’t over yet. This summer she played in the Australian Women’s National Basketball League.