2006: Academic All-Big Ten ... saw action in 16 matches ... tallied 10 digs, five blocks and two kills before knee injuries ended her career.
2005: Academic All-Big Ten ... played in 16 matches, starting five, before suffering a season-ending ACL injury against Michigan State (10/7) ... saw action mainly in the backcourt, racking up 1.94 digs per game, including four double-digit efforts ... pulled up career-high 15 digs against Pacific (9/3) ... saw action in the front row against Bradley, Coastal Carolina, Penn State and Wisconsin ... served up 19 aces, including a five-ace performance against Coastal Carolina (9/10) ... tallied at least one ace in 11 of the 16 matches in which she played ... recorded 350th kill of her career against No. 4 Penn State (9/24) ... 100th career block came against Ohio (9/16).
2004: Academic All-Big Ten ... played in 18 matches, starting four ... averaged 2.22 kills and 0.67 blocks per game ... posted double-digit kill tallies on five occasions, including a season-best 14 against No. 9 Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament ... led the team in kills with 13 against No. 5 Minnesota ... tallied 43 digs, including a career-best nine digs against Wisconsin ... served up 12 aces, including a career-high-tying two on four occasions ... posted 36 blocks, including a season-best six against Colorado State ... handed out 10 assists ... missed several matches due to injury.
2003: Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team despite missing half the season due to a knee injury ... played in 19 matches, starting 16 before going down with the injury .... averaged 3.10 kills and 0.84 blocks, while hitting .262 for the season ... named MVP of the Mortar Board Premier after hitting .559 on the weekend with 42 kills in 68 attempts ... best hitting performance was a .655 effort (22-3-29) against Mississippi State during Mortar Board ... posted double-figure kills 11 times, including the career-best 22 against the Bulldogs ... put up career-high eight blocks against Michigan State ... led team in kills and blocks in one contest each ... dished out 33 assists, including a career-high seven against Middle Tennessee State ... served up seven aces, including two on three occasions ... tallied 33 digs, including a career-high five against Wisconsin ... recorded eight kills and four blocks in her first match in old gold and black, the season opener against Saint Louis.
High School: Lettered in volleyball and softball at Minooka High School ... earned four letters in volleyball as a four-year starter ... set school records for most kills in a season, with 383 her junior year, and for career kills, with 1,058 ... garnered all-state accolades as a senior, while picking up Suburban Prairie Conference MVP honors ... three-time all-conference honoree ... named to the Joliet Herald News all-area team her junior and senior years, while acting as team captain ... garnered area MVP honors from the Herald News as a senior ... ranks 16th in the state of Illinois with her career kills tally ... helped lead team to an elite eight finish at the state tournament as a freshman ... four-year honor roll student.
Personal: Given name is Melanie Anne Ukovich ... born July 16, 1985 ... parents are Greg and Claudia Ukovich ... has two sisters, Melissa and Michelle ... Melissa plays volleyball for the University of St. Francis (Illinois), while Michelle was a four-year member of the St. Francis softball team ... majoring in elementary education ... nickname is Mel.
2005: Academic All-Big Ten ... played in 16 matches, starting five, before suffering a season-ending ACL injury against Michigan State (10/7) ... saw action mainly in the backcourt, racking up 1.94 digs per game, including four double-digit efforts ... pulled up career-high 15 digs against Pacific (9/3) ... saw action in the front row against Bradley, Coastal Carolina, Penn State and Wisconsin ... served up 19 aces, including a five-ace performance against Coastal Carolina (9/10) ... tallied at least one ace in 11 of the 16 matches in which she played ... recorded 350th kill of her career against No. 4 Penn State (9/24) ... 100th career block came against Ohio (9/16).
2004: Academic All-Big Ten ... played in 18 matches, starting four ... averaged 2.22 kills and 0.67 blocks per game ... posted double-digit kill tallies on five occasions, including a season-best 14 against No. 9 Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament ... led the team in kills with 13 against No. 5 Minnesota ... tallied 43 digs, including a career-best nine digs against Wisconsin ... served up 12 aces, including a career-high-tying two on four occasions ... posted 36 blocks, including a season-best six against Colorado State ... handed out 10 assists ... missed several matches due to injury.
2003: Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team despite missing half the season due to a knee injury ... played in 19 matches, starting 16 before going down with the injury .... averaged 3.10 kills and 0.84 blocks, while hitting .262 for the season ... named MVP of the Mortar Board Premier after hitting .559 on the weekend with 42 kills in 68 attempts ... best hitting performance was a .655 effort (22-3-29) against Mississippi State during Mortar Board ... posted double-figure kills 11 times, including the career-best 22 against the Bulldogs ... put up career-high eight blocks against Michigan State ... led team in kills and blocks in one contest each ... dished out 33 assists, including a career-high seven against Middle Tennessee State ... served up seven aces, including two on three occasions ... tallied 33 digs, including a career-high five against Wisconsin ... recorded eight kills and four blocks in her first match in old gold and black, the season opener against Saint Louis.
High School: Lettered in volleyball and softball at Minooka High School ... earned four letters in volleyball as a four-year starter ... set school records for most kills in a season, with 383 her junior year, and for career kills, with 1,058 ... garnered all-state accolades as a senior, while picking up Suburban Prairie Conference MVP honors ... three-time all-conference honoree ... named to the Joliet Herald News all-area team her junior and senior years, while acting as team captain ... garnered area MVP honors from the Herald News as a senior ... ranks 16th in the state of Illinois with her career kills tally ... helped lead team to an elite eight finish at the state tournament as a freshman ... four-year honor roll student.
Personal: Given name is Melanie Anne Ukovich ... born July 16, 1985 ... parents are Greg and Claudia Ukovich ... has two sisters, Melissa and Michelle ... Melissa plays volleyball for the University of St. Francis (Illinois), while Michelle was a four-year member of the St. Francis softball team ... majoring in elementary education ... nickname is Mel.