Six Saluki Volleyball Players Named To MVC Scholar-Athlete Team

Nov. 13, 2002

Carbondale, Ill. - The Southern Illinois volleyball team placed six student-athletes on the 2002 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Volleyball Scholar-Athlete Team. Kristie Kemner, Lindsey Schultz, and Britten Follett were named to the first team. Tara Cains, Lisa Ciucci, and Qiana Nelson received honorable mention. SIU's six selections were more than any other conference school.

Kemner (senior, OH, Quincy, Ill., Quincy Notre Dame HS) was named to the first team for the third straight year. Schultz (senior, MB, Valparaiso, Ind., Wheeler HS) and Follett (junior, setter, Marengo, Ill., Marengo HS) were also named to the first team. Schultz earned honorable mention last season.

Cains (senior, OH, LaPorte, Ind., LaPorte HS) was an honorable mention selection for the second year in a row while, Ciucci (junior, libero, Portage, Mich., Portage Northern HS), and Nelson (senior, OH, Kankakee, Ill., Kankakee HS) each received the honor for the first time.

"They are all deserving," said head coach Sonya Locke. "They play all the time, they work hard, and they have tough majors. It's a direct reflection of their work ethic on the court as well."

This season Kemner set career records in kills (1,568), digs (1,274), attempts (4,109), and double-doubles (56) at SIU. She holds the single season attempt record with 1,200 and has the attempt record in a single match with 74. Kemner leads the conference in kills per game (4.72), digs per game (4.17), and is fourth in service aces per game with 0.42. She is majoring in communication disorders and holds a 3.56 GPA.

Schultz is a civil engineering major and has a 3.75 GPA. Currently, she ranks second in career hitting percentage (.312) and is fifth in career block assists with 271. She has a .344 hitting percentage which ties her for third in the conference. Follett is also tied for fifth in the MVC with 3.71 kpg.

Follett, majoring in radio and television, is the only one selected to sport a flawless 4.00 GPA. This year, she has dished out 1,222 assists which places her seventh on SIU's single season list. She has 1,309 assists in her career, ninth on SIU's all-time list. She's fourth in the MVC averaging 11.98 assists per game.

Cains is a journalism major and has a 3.80 GPA. She's averaging 1.92 kpg (.222), 0.37 aspg, 0.39 dpg,, and 0.65 blocks per game. Cains is eighth on SIU's all-time block assists list with 244 and ninth in games played in a career with 388.

Ciucci, the team's libero, is averaging 2.20 dpg. She carries a 3.83 GPA in animal science.

Nelson is a business management major and holds a 3.42 GPA. She is averaging 2.55 kpg and has a .219 hitting percentage this season. She's tenth in the conference in digs per game with 2.95.

In order to receive such honors, the nominees must be a starter or important reserve with at least 75 percent participation in games and have a minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at the institution and completed at least one full academic year at the institution.

2002 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete Team
First-Team Scholar-Athlete Team
*Jill Arganbright Northern Iowa Jr. Biology/Chemistry 3.98 Iowa City, Iowa
Chenille Bayless SMS Jr. Physical Education 3.53 Springfield, Mo.
Stephanie Behrns Bradley Sr. Accounting 3.67 Dieterich, Ill.
Britten Follett Southern Illinois Jr. Radio/TV 4.00 Marengo, Ill.
Liesbeth Gorremans SMS Sr. Accounting 3.78 Zoersel, Belgium
Kristie Kemner Southern Illinois Sr. Speech Pathology 3.56 Quincy, Ill.
Kim Kester Northern Iowa Sr. Education 3.60 Urbana, Iowa
Molly O'Brien Northern Iowa Jr. Physical Education 3.81 Parnell, Iowa
Jenna Passman Bradley Jr. Biochemistry 3.68 Westfield, Ind.
Amelie Rodrigue Bradley Sr. Biochemistry 3.67 St. Josepth, Quebec
Lindsey Schultz Southern Illinois Sr. Civil Engineering 3.75 Valparaiso, Ind.
Sara Younes Wichita State So. Communications 3.56 Bakersfield, Calif.
Honorable Mention Scholar-Athlete Team
Karen Augspurger Wichita State So. Liberal Arts 3.78 Maize, Kan.
Tara Cains Southern Illinois Sr. Journalism 3.80 LaPorte, Ind.
Lisa Ciucci Southern Illinois Jr. Animal Sciences 3.83 Portage, Mich.
Abby Davidson Bradley Sr. Marketing 3.10 Bloomington, Ill.
Leah Johnson SMS Jr. Spanish 3.40 Fair Grove, Mo.
Jenny Kabbes Illinois State Sr. Business Admin. 3.26 Normal, Ill.
Andrea Krouse Indiana State Sr. History 3.93 Fort Wayne, Ind.
Qiana Nelson Southern Illinois Sr. Business Management 3.42 Kankakee, Ill.
Brittanie Stowell Indiana State So. Education 3.76 Portage, Mich.
Kristin Widmar Indiana State So. Chemistry 3.95 Granger, Ind.
Ashley Williams Creighton So. Nursing 3.67 Valley, Neb.
Casey Young SMS Sr. Speech-Lang Pathology 3.55 LeBannon, Mo.
*Unanimous first-team

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