Third consecutive all-OVC honors for Meffert and Kenline

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech junior Leah Meffert, senior Katie Kenline and freshman Kelsey Gray have been recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference for their individual play during the 2009 season by earning all-OVC honors on the volleyball court.

The all-OVC teams were announced Wednesday by the league office as six conference teams -- including Tennessee Tech -- prepare to wage battle in the OVC Tournament Thursday through Saturday.

It’s the third consecutive all-conference nod for both Meffert and Kenline, while Gray grabbed her first selection with a spot on the seven-player all-Newcomer team.

Meffert repeated as a first-team all-OVC selection after beginning her career with second-team honors in 2007 and moving up to the first-team last season. She ranks second in the league in kills per set and in offensive points per set.

A junior from Louisville, Ky., Meffert became just the eighth player in school history to surpass 1,000 in both career kills and career digs, placing her in the elite “Double Grand” club. She has posted 1,295 kills to rank fifth in school history, and 1,032 digs.

For Kenline, a fifth-year senior from Ossian, Ind., this year’s honor marks the third year in a row as a second-team selection. She ranks sixth in the OVC in digs per set and was twice selected the OVC Defensive Player of the Week.

During the year, she put together a streak of 23 consecutive matches with double figures in digs. She heads to the OVC tournament ranked second all-time in the OVC in career digs with 2,413. She is the first player in Tech history to surpass 2,000 in career digs, and needs 42 to break the OVC career record.

Before Meffert and Kenline, only four previous Golden Eagle players had been three-time all-OVC picks. The pair joins Becky Murray Isom (1986-88), Rachel Melchiorre (1997-2000), Stephanie Busch (1997-2000) and Maggie Stern (1999-2002).

Gray, a freshman from Newark, Ohio, ranked first on the team and fourth in the OVC in blocks per game. She currently has 23 blocks solo and 88 assists for a total of 111 blocks, an average of 1.03 per set.

Gray is the fourth member of the current roster to begin her career with selection to the all-newcomer squad. Kenline and Amanda Lindgren were named in 2006, while Meffert earned that honor in 2007.

Austin Peay’s Stephanie Champine was named the OVC Player of the Year, while Kayleah Sauer of Murray State was the Defensive Player of the Year. Anne Gruenschlaeger of Morehead State is the Freshman of the Year and Jacksonville State’s Rick Nold is Coach of the Year.

2009 All-OVC Volleyball Teams

FIRST TEAM
Player, School Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown
Stephanie Champine, Austin Peay* OH Sr. 5’10 Lambertville, Mich.
Emma Keough, Morehead State MB So. 5’11 Batavia, Ohio
Brittney Whitten, Jacksonville State* OH Sr. 5’9 Boonville, Ind.
Karleigh DeLong, Southeast Missouri OH/RS Sr. 5’11 Corona, Calif.
Leah Meffert, Tennessee Tech* OH Jr. 6’0 Louisville, Ky.
Sarah Alisaleh, Austin Peay S Jr. 5’8 San Antonio, Texas
Caitlin Vorbeck, Jacksonville State MB/OH Jr. 5’11 Raytown, Mo.
Kaitlin Craven, Morehead State OH Jr. 5’10 Louisville, Ky.
(Eight players appear on the first team due to a tie)

SECOND TEAM
Player, School Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown
Jade Guo, Murray State# S So. 5’11 DaTong, Shanxi, China
Kayleah Sauer, Murray State L So. 5’6 Louisville, Ky.
Abby O’Connor, Eastern Kentucky L Jr. 5’4 Maineville, Ohio
Jessica Mollman, Austin Peay MB Jr. 6’0 Cincinnati, Ohio
Lauren Snyder, Eastern Kentucky OH Jr. 5’10 Ft. Mitchell, Ky.
Becca Lamb, Murray State OH Jr. 5’11 Highland, Ill.
Katie Kenline, Tennessee Tech L Sr. 5’8 Ossian, Ind.

ALL-NEWCOMER
Player, School Pos. Yr. Ht. Hometown
Lauren Snyder, Eastern Kentucky OH Jr. 5’10 Ft. Mitchell, Ky.
Annie Gruenschlaeger, Morehead State MH Fr. 6’4 Ft. Thomas, Ky.
Alyx Schulte, Jacksonville State OH Fr. 5’10 Cold Springs, Ky.
Jen Meyer, Jacksonville State OH Fr. 6’1 Maineville, Ohio
Kelsey Gray, Tennessee Tech MB Fr. 6’2 Newark, Ohio
Kasey Elswick, UT Martin DS Fr. 5’7 Louisville, Ky.
Ellie Roberson, Morehead State OH Fr. 6’2 Louisville, Ky.