(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 5)—Four members of the McKendree University volleyball team were honored by the NAIA Friday morning with their inclusion on the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete team for 2008.
Seniors Jessica Ellsworth (Greenville, Ill./Greenville), Katelyn Kombrink (O’Fallon, Ill./O’Fallon) and Dana Maedge (Highland, Ill./Highland), and junior Dani Collins (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg) were named to the list, which includes a total of 308 volleyball players representing 135 NAIA institutions. For Kombrink and Maedge, this is the second time they have earned the national academic honor.
To be included as a member of the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete team, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. The student-athlete must also be a junior or senior academically and must not be a transfer player.
Kombrink led McKendree in kills, blocks and service aces for the second year in a row. She registered 315 kills, 121 blocks (60 solos) and 60 service aces during her senior season. Kombrink closed out her McKendree career with a program-record 191 aces, while she is fourth all-time in kills with 1,055. Kombrink was a three-year starter along the front row for the Bearcats.
Maedge led the Bearcats with 642 assists and ranked among team leaders with 373 digs. She was a three-year member of the McKendree varsity squad. Collins was fifth in kills with 155 while she notched 111 digs and 33 blocks. Collins has been with the McKendree volleyball program for two seasons.
Ellsworth was a two-year member of the McKendree volleyball program, splitting time between the varsity squad and junior varsity team.
The McKendree University volleyball team posted an overall record of 18-17 in 2008. The Bearcats reached the semifinals of the American Midwest Conference Tournament.
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