Adding to the rich tradition of Redbird volleyball, middle blocker Kendra Haselhorst has become the seventh Illinois State player to be voted Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year.
The award was announced at Saturday's State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Banquet, just ahead of the Illinois State-Northern Iowa championship match. Joining Haselhorst in the individual awards program was 2000 Valley Coach of the Year Iradge Ahrabi-Fard and his outstanding middle blocker, Newcomer of the Year Molly O'Brien.
Haselhorst, the 6-foot-2 native of Aviston, Ill. who was the league's newcomer of the year in 1997, gives the Redbirds seven league MVPs in the 19-year history of the award--more than any other conference member.
Previous Redbirds named league player of the year were Jolene Jordan Hoover (1985), Stacey Anderson (1989), Kim Nelson Brown (1992 & 1993) Andi Hardwick (1996) and Marisa Brickley (1997).
Earlier in the week, Haselhorst became the first player in Valley history to make first- or second-team all-conference all four years (she was first team in 1997, 1999 and 2000; second team in 1998).
This season, Haselhorst has been the league's runaway leader in kills per game (4.59) and also ranks among the Valley's top 10 in blocks, hitting percentage and service aces--the only player in the league to rank in four of the six individual stat categories.
Among Haselhorst's other kudos this season are First Team Verizon All-District V Academic, First Team Missouri Valley Scholar-Athlete (third straight year), two-time Valley Player of the Week and all-tournament teams at Connecticut and Ohio State.
Haselhorst has led the Redbirds to a combined 81-40 record during her four seasons at Illinois State. At Illinois State, she is the career hitting percentage leader (.322), block assist (481) and total blocks (594) leader, while ranking No. 2 in career kills (1,661) and No. 6 in service aces (142).
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