Volleyball Places Four Athletes On MVC Scholar-Athlete Team
11/21/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 21, 2001
Carbondale, Ill. - Southern Illinois University placed four athletes on the 2001 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete Team announced Wednesday after a vote of league sports information directors.
Kristie Kemner was named to the MVC First-Team Scholar-Athlete Team and Megan Baumstark, Tara Cains and Lindsey Schultz were named to the MVC Honorable Mention Scholar-Athlete Team. SIU last had four student-athletes earn this honor back in 1995.
"I'm very proud that they are SIU student-athletes and great role models for what our school is all about and now everyone knows. It's not a secret that our kids have done well on the academic side of the ball. Our players have always been exceptional people and have always done a nice job in the classroom. They have all been good students since day one," Sonya Locke, Saluki head coach said.
"I'm glad that they can be recognized for their hard work. Kids like Tara, Lindsey and Megan who weren't named all-conference like Kristie for volleyball only can still smile about being named to the scholar-athlete team for all the sacrifices they made to be true student-athletes."
Kemner, a junior outside hitter from Quincy, Ill., was also named to the MVC First-Team Scholar-Athlete Team in 2000. She holds a 3.55 grade point average in communication disorders and was named to the MVC All-Conference First-Team on Tuesday. Kemner was also named to the MVC All-Conference Second-Team in 2000 and the MVC All-Freshman Team in 1999.
Kemner finished third in the MVC in league-only (4.13) and overall (3.91) kills per game, fifth in the MVC in league-only (3.48) and seventh in overall (3.24) digs per game.
In 2001, she became just the sixth Saluki to have over 1000 kills (1087) and 800 digs (849) in a career and is just the eleventh Saluki to have over 400 kills in a season with 426, which is eighth all-time at SIU. Her 1107 attempts is the third-best total in a season by a Saluki and her 353 digs is seventh all-time in a season at SIU.
Kemner led SIU in double-doubles (kills & digs) with 16, kills (426), kills per game (3.91), digs (353), digs per game (3.24) and attempts (1107). She was second at SIU in aces (38), fourth in hitting percentage (.234) and assists (16) and started all 30 matches and 109 games this season. Her 35 career double-doubles is third best in SIU history and she is now sixth all-time in career attempts (2908).
She had season highs of 25 kills (W. Kentucky on Sept. 9) and 22 digs (twice) and hit .542 (14 kills, 1 error, 24 attempts) against Drake on Nov. 5. She was also named to the Saluki Best/Inns and the Evansville All-Tournament teams.
Lindsey Schultz, a junior middle blocker from Valparaiso, Ind., holds a 3.77 grade point average in civil engineering. On the court Schultz was third in the MVC in league-only (.367) and overall (.355) hitting percentage and led the Salukis in both categories. Her .355 overall hitting percentage is the second-best single season mark in SIU history behind coach Sonya Locke's .369 in 1981. She finished ninth in the MVC in overall block average with 1.02 per game.
Schultz led SIU with 88 block assists, tying teammate Jenny Noel for the tenth-best single season performance in SIU history, 111 blocks, a .647 (12 kills, 1 error, 17 attempts) hitting performance against IUPUI on Sept. 8 and 13 total blocks (4 solo, 9 assists) in a match against Murray State on Oct. 2. Her career .287 hitting percentage is third-best in SIU history. She finished third on the team with 232 kills while playing in all 30 matches (starting 16) and 109 games.
Megan Baumstark, a senior setter from Hermann, Mo., holds a 3.71 grade point average in management. Baumstark finished third in the MVC in league-only (.52) and was fourth (.44) in overall ace average in addition to finishing fifth in the MVC in league-only (11.38) and overall (11.25) assists.
She tied an SIU record with 9 service aces against Evansville on Nov. 9 and finished 2001 with 1226 assists, fifth-best in a season at SIU. Baumstark is also fifth all-time in assists at SIU with 2255 in just two years and was named to the Saluki Best/Inns All-Tournament team.
She led SIU in assists (11.25), ace average (.44) and aces (48). She was second in digs (258), dig average (2.37) and double-doubles (assists-digs) with 12, fourth in total blocks (48) and block assists (44) and had over 50 assists seven times including a season high 57 against Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 25. Baumstark had a season-high 16 digs versus Samford on Nov. 10, 7 kills with a .875 (7 kills, no errors, 8 attempts) versus Wichita State on Sept. 21 and broke the 2000 assists plateau against Drake on Nov. 3. She started all 30 matches and played in all 109 games.
Tara Cains, a junior outside hitter from LaPorte, Ind., carries a 3.89 grade point average in journalism. Cains finished second at SIU in kills (239), hitting percentage (.235), assists (38) and block assists (72). She was also third in attempts (604), aces (23), total blocks (80), block solos (8) and block average (.75), was fourth in kills per game (2.23) and fifth in digs (183) and digs per game (1.71). Cains started all 30 matches and played in 107 of 109 games.