CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Three Illinois State volleyball student-athletes were recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference on Thursday afternoon at its annual awards presentation, as Stef Jankiewicz, Kaylee Martin and Sydney Holt were all placed on the All-MVC First Team.
"These Redbirds have been instrumental in our success all season," head coach Leah Johnson shared. "As with any individual award, it is a testament to their personal skill, craft and effort every single day. It is also a testament to the supporting athletes around them that make up our team. We are fortunate that three Redbirds were represented in a competitive field of athletes across the conference."
Jankiewicz earns her third all-conference nod and her second-straight first-team selection. The junior setter currently sits at No. 19 and No. 25 in Division I in total assists (1,186) and assists per set (11.08), respectively. Jankiewicz has accumulated 3,936 assists in her career – moving into No. 5 all-time at ISU – after becoming the second-fastest setter to reach the top 10 last season. Additionally, Jankiewicz ranks second in both assists and assists per set in the conference and has turned in 14 double-doubles.
For the second-consecutive year, Martin is placed on the All-MVC First Team after garnering the award last season. The junior has tallied double-digit kills in 27 of Illinois State's 30 matches, turning in an impressive seven 20-plus kill performances. Martin turned in a single-match season high .621 hitting percentage in a sweep over Missouri State to open the conference slate. The three-time MVC Player of the Week ranks second in the league in kills (473) and third in points (537), while sitting at No. 22 and No. 21 in all of NCAA Division I in the respective categories.
Holt is securing her first career all-conference honor after boasting the third-best hitting percentage (.316) in the league and best among the Redbirds. The league leader in total blocks and blocks per set, Holt ranks No. 21 in all of Division I in blocks with 146 as she's averaging 1.23 per set. Holt's 131 block assists currently ranks sixth all-time at ISU in a single season, while her total blocks is tied for the 14th most. The middle blocker currently ranks in the top 25 all-time in program history in four categories – blocks per set, total blocks, service attempts and block assists.
UP NEXT
By securing the No. 3 seed in the upcoming MVC Volleyball Championship, the Redbirds will take on No. 6-seeded Evansville tonight at 7:30 p.m. The winner of the opening-round match will face No. 2 Loyola Chicago at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
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