Oct. 13, 2005
Normal, Ill. -
Hammering volleyballs or hitting the books, Kari Staehlin has proven she can compete with the best in the Missouri Valley Conference. Three days after being named State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, the Illinois State University sophomore middle blocker has added Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week to her list of accolades.
An elementary education major with a 3.67 cumulative grade point average, the 6-foot-2 Staehlin led the Redbirds to back-to-back wins over Northern Iowa and Bradley last weekend with a .500 hitting percentage while averaging 4.71 kills and 1.43 blocks per game. Staehlin had 33 kills in 54 attempts with just six errors as the Redbirds extended their Valley winning streak to six matches in a row.
In the classroom, the Tinley Park, Ill., native and Victor J. Andrew High School graduate helped the Redbird volleyball team earn a 3.32 team grade point average in Spring, 2005--the highest GPA of any Redbird sport that semester.
Redbird assistant coach Jenny Fuente, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team member during her playing days from 1998-2001 at Illinois State, appreciates what Staehlin does in the classroom and on the court.
"Kari has her priorities straight and is very focused on academics," said Fuente. "Kari is always trying to improve on the court and sets a great example in the classroom as well."
The Valley names a male and female Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week each week from among student-athletes competing in championship seasons at the time. This week's male winner is Creighton soccer midfielder Jarod Tarver.
In addition to superior performance in their sport, qualifications include at minimum 3.0 cumulative grade average, sophomore academic standing and at least one semester completed at their current Valley institution. The program is sponsored by Prairie Farms, Roberts and Hiland Dairies and has been honoring athletic and academic achievement by Valley athletes since 1999.
Staehlin is the second Redbird to earn Prairie Farms recognition this season. Illinois State cross country runner Dan Tripp was cited Sept. 8 for his academics and athletic performance.
The Redbirds continue their schedule with the third of four straight home matches with a 7 p.m. first serve Saturday at Redbird Arena against Indiana State.
