NORMAL, Ill. – A pair of deserving Illinois State volleyball student-athletes were selected for prestigious endowed scholarships at Illinois State University, as senior Monica Miller and junior Stef Jankiewicz were chosen for these honors by Redbird volleyball head coach Leah Johnson.
"Monica and Stef are extremely deserving of this year's endowment scholarships," Johnson shared. "They have led our program both on and off the court and embody our team's core values – tradition, service and growth. We rely on their strengths to push our team to new heights each day. Both Monica and Stef have left their marks on our program so far, and will continue to leave their mark this season into next.
"Monica, like Janyth Aellig, is her teammate's biggest fan. She always plays for the person next to her and consistently makes those around her better. Stef serves everyone in our program, like Dr. Linda Herman did. She has helped set the Redbird Standard and we are excited for her leadership to continue growing throughout the next year."
Janyth Aellig Endowed Scholarship Recipient // Monica Miller s Senior s Right Side s Marysville, Ohio
Monica Miller is the lone senior on the court for the Redbirds this season and has made her presence known. The Marysville, Ohio, native registered a four-set career-high 14 kills in a win over Tulsa to start the season, while tallying a five-set career-high 12 kills in a setback to Bradley earlier this month. The international business major, and Spanish minor, registered the third-most blocks on the team in 2018 and currently ranks fourth on the team in kills per set and blocks per set.
Named after an avid and longtime Redbird supporter, the Janyth Aellig Endowed Scholarship was established in 1997, when Fred, husband of the late Janyth Aellig, funded the endowment with the help of more than 50 friends and family.
Linda Herman Endowed Scholarship Recipient // Stef Jankiewicz s Junior s Setter s Farmington Hills, Michigan
Stef Jankiewicz – the 2017 MVC Freshman of the Year and 2018 MVC Setter of the Year – has turned in 11 double-doubles during the 2019 season. The 2018 AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention selection moved into ninth all-time at ISU in career assists in 2018, becoming the second-fastest setter in program history to reach the top 10. Jankiewicz currently ranks No. 5 all-time in assists per set (11.04), seventh in total assists (3,654) and ninth in service attempts (1,144).
The scholarship, which is awarded annually to a Redbird volleyball student-athlete, was created in honor of former volleyball coach and interim athletics director Dr. Linda Herman in September 2005. Rose Stadel, the widow of Joe Warner, handed over the proceeds from the 2005 Joe Warner Memorial Golf Classic to initiate funds for the endowment. The late Warner spent three decades as a prominent business and community leader in central Illinois before his tragic death in a 2002 plane crash. He was an avid Redbird fan and supporter.
Herman was one of Illinois State's most influential administrators. She was named the 1995 National Associate of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) District V Administrator of the Year, and was also the recipient of the Bloomington/Normal YWCA Women of Distinction Award for outstanding leadership and excellence in education in 1997. Herman spent seven years as the head Redbird volleyball coach, and served four separate stints as ISU's interim athletics director. She was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Hall of Fame in September 2005, and in December 2003, was inducted into the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) inaugural Hall of Fame class. Herman is also a member of the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame, as she was given the Lifetime Achievement distinction in 2014.
These endowed scholarships are two of 30 available to Illinois State student-athletes that are funded by private donors. For more information about establishing or contributing an endowed scholarship, please call the Weisbecker Scholarship Fund office at (309) 438-3803. To read about each current endowment in more detail, visit the WSF website at www.weisbeckerscholarshipfund.com.
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