NORMAL, Ill. – Stef Jankiewicz was tabbed the Missouri Valley Conference Setter of the Year, while teammate Courtney Pence was named the conference's Libero of the Year, the league announced Thursday at its annual postseason awards presentation.
The pair also took home All-MVC First Team honors, while teammates Kaylee Martin and Ali Line also earned a spot on the league's first team. Middle blocker Marissa Stockman was given a spot on the MVC All-Freshman Team.
"Having four players receive first-team all-conference nods, and one earning a spot on the all-freshman team, with all of them playing in different positions, is a testament to the level of this team," head coach Leah Johnson said. "The MVC is filled with great athletes and coaches, and we are proud to have these Redbirds represented. I am so proud of this team and their commitment to leaving a legacy, through hard work, loyalty and service to one another."
Jankiewicz is the second Redbird to earn the Valley's Setter of the Year award, after Kaitlyn Early received the recognition in 2014. She is the first Illinois State volleyball player to earn a specialty award in back-to-back years since Emily Orrick did so in 2013 and 2014, as Jankiewicz was named the league's Freshman of the Year in 2017. Jankiewicz is also one of four Redbirds to be named first-team all-conference, after earning a spot on the All-MVC Second Team and MVC All-Freshman Team last season. She currently ranks 20th in all of NCAA Division I in assists per set with 11.21 overall, averaging 11.71 assists per set during league play. The sophomore has turned in 13 double-doubles in 2018, including 10 during conference matches.
"Stef is committed to her craft, her team and her program," Johnson shared. "She studies film, preps game plans and executes at a high level day in and day out, but most importantly she has been willing to put herself second to her teammates all season long."
For the second time in her career, Pence has been tabbed the MVC's Libero of the Year, after earning the distinction in 2016 as a sophomore. The senior is just the fourth volleyball player in Valley history to win multiple Libero of the Year awards, including Illinois State's Orrick. Pence broke the MVC career digs mark on Nov. 9, and currently ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history with 2,714 digs. She ranks second this season in the NCAA in digs per set, averaging 6.01, while ranking 11th in total digs with 631. Her first-team all-conference selection marks the third-straight season the libero has been place on the top list, after earning second team honors as a freshman in 2015. She is the first three-time selection to the All-MVC First Team since UNI's Kayla Haneline and Wichita State's Abbie Lehman were placed on the list from 2014-16.
"Courtney is the pulse to our program," added Johnson. "She set expectations last January for herself and the team, and has dedicated her efforts to see it through. Courtney is relentless in everything she does, and because of that, our team is resilient."
At least one Illinois State volleyball player has earned a specialty award from the Valley dating back to the 2012 season with this pair of awards given to Jankiewicz and Pence.
Line earns a spot on the All-MVC First Team after being named the league's Freshman of the Year in 2015. She was named MVC Player of the Week on Sept. 4 following an outstanding performance at the Top Dawg Challenge, where she helped the Redbirds secure a trio of wins over Eastern Illinois, Auburn and Butler. Line currently ranks third in the Valley in hitting percentage (.340) and sits in the top 10 in the league in blocks, with 61 total blocks during conference action. She has notched double-digit kills in nine MVC matches this season, recording a five-set career-high at Evansville with a season-high 19 kills against the Purple Aces.
Martin is averaging the seventh-most kills per set in the league at 3.23, which is also the most of any Redbird this season. She has the seventh-best attack percentage in the MVC, hitting at a .284 clip, while ranking in the top-10 in the Valley in points contributed during conference play (182.5). She has posted double-digit kills in 10 MVC contests this season, including 20 kills in a four-set win at Drake. Martin's first-team all-conference selection marks the first accolade given to the sophomore by the MVC, as the newcomer was named to the All-MAC Freshman Team and All-MAC First Team in 2017 as a student-athlete at Northern Illinois.
Illinois State's four All-MVC First Team selections is the most of any institution this season, making it the first time since 2014 that at least four Redbirds earned the distinction.
Stockman leads the team and ranks second in the MVC in hitting percentage during conference play, hitting at a .350 clip. The freshman's 1.05 blocks per set average is the fourth-best mark in the league, as she has contributed 66 during conference action. She turned in a career-high 14 kills in Illinois State's five-set thriller over then-No. 25 UNI to close the 2018 home slate, helping the Redbirds post a perfect 9-0 record at Redbird Arena. Stockman reached double-digit kills five times during MVC play in 2018, including in back-to-back matches against the Panthers and Loyola Chicago.
By securing the No. 2 seed in the tournament, the Redbirds will face the winner of the first round match-up between No. 3 Bradley and No. 6 Drake on Friday, Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. First serve between the Braves and the Bulldogs is set for 5 p.m. tonight.
For more information regarding the Valley's championship tournament, please visit the MVC's championship central page.
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