Post by semosupporter on Apr 12, 2007 7:57:12 GMT -5
April 11, 2007
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State head volleyball coach Renata Nowacki has announced today the signings of three players to National Letters of Intent to compete for the team beginning with the 2007 season. Joining the Redhawks this fall will be outside hitter/defensive specialist Kelly Benacka (Algonquin, Ill.), outside hitter Aubrey Dondlinger (Palos Heights, Ill.) and middle hitter Emily Hughes (Memphis, Tenn.). Benacka, Dondlinger and Hughes join Claire Keaton, who signed with the team during the fall signing period.
"We have a great deal of talent coming in the fall which will bring competition for starting roles right away. These girls bring in a nice mix of competitiveness and passion to the program," said Nowacki. "We have some big shoes after losing (Jessica) Koeper and (Jamie) Baumstark, but the recruits we're adding combined with our returning players give us more options and depth than a year ago. I'm very anxious to get everybody in the gym and have them ready to compete for the OVC championship in August."
Benacka claimed Most Valuable Player honors in addition to being a two-time All-Area selection from the Daily Herald and Northwest Herald newspapers over her final two seasons for coach Lisa Dwyer at Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Ill. She also captured honorable mention All-State honors and All-Fox Valley Conference accolades while serving as the team captain in her senior season last fall. Benacka has competed with the Rolling Thunder and Sky High volleyball clubs and is a four-year high honor roll student along with being on the school's student council.
Dondlinger finished her sophomore year playing for coach Mike Trame at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., where she captured All-Region 24 and All-Mid-West Athletic Conference accolades last fall. She led the Cobras to a 42-8 record, the MWAC title, a #4 national ranking in the NJCAA Division II poll and a runner-up finish in Region 24. Dondlinger averaged 3.8 kills per game at Parkland to rank 26th in the nation and also finished 40th in the nation in service aces. Prior to Parkland, she played one year at NCAA Division II Lewis University, where she finished second on the team in kills. Dondlinger earned honorable mention all-state honors and all-area accolades by the Chicago Sun-Times and The Star newspapers at Stagg High School. She tied the school's single-game service aces record in her senior year and also played club ball with the First Alliance and Lions Elite teams.
Hughes captured all-state honors in her senior season at St. Benedict High School in Memphis, Tenn., where she was also named a two-time team MVP. She earned all-region honors from 2004-06 and claimed MVP honors after guiding St. Benedict to a pair of regional championships. Hughes competed for the T.A.C.A. All-Star team and is a three-time Best of the Preps honoree. In addition to her athletic accolades, she has earned the school's Scholar Athlete award from 2004-06. Hughes is also a member of the school's National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society) and Spanish National Honor Society.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State head volleyball coach Renata Nowacki has announced today the signings of three players to National Letters of Intent to compete for the team beginning with the 2007 season. Joining the Redhawks this fall will be outside hitter/defensive specialist Kelly Benacka (Algonquin, Ill.), outside hitter Aubrey Dondlinger (Palos Heights, Ill.) and middle hitter Emily Hughes (Memphis, Tenn.). Benacka, Dondlinger and Hughes join Claire Keaton, who signed with the team during the fall signing period.
"We have a great deal of talent coming in the fall which will bring competition for starting roles right away. These girls bring in a nice mix of competitiveness and passion to the program," said Nowacki. "We have some big shoes after losing (Jessica) Koeper and (Jamie) Baumstark, but the recruits we're adding combined with our returning players give us more options and depth than a year ago. I'm very anxious to get everybody in the gym and have them ready to compete for the OVC championship in August."
Benacka claimed Most Valuable Player honors in addition to being a two-time All-Area selection from the Daily Herald and Northwest Herald newspapers over her final two seasons for coach Lisa Dwyer at Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Ill. She also captured honorable mention All-State honors and All-Fox Valley Conference accolades while serving as the team captain in her senior season last fall. Benacka has competed with the Rolling Thunder and Sky High volleyball clubs and is a four-year high honor roll student along with being on the school's student council.
Dondlinger finished her sophomore year playing for coach Mike Trame at Parkland College in Champaign, Ill., where she captured All-Region 24 and All-Mid-West Athletic Conference accolades last fall. She led the Cobras to a 42-8 record, the MWAC title, a #4 national ranking in the NJCAA Division II poll and a runner-up finish in Region 24. Dondlinger averaged 3.8 kills per game at Parkland to rank 26th in the nation and also finished 40th in the nation in service aces. Prior to Parkland, she played one year at NCAA Division II Lewis University, where she finished second on the team in kills. Dondlinger earned honorable mention all-state honors and all-area accolades by the Chicago Sun-Times and The Star newspapers at Stagg High School. She tied the school's single-game service aces record in her senior year and also played club ball with the First Alliance and Lions Elite teams.
Hughes captured all-state honors in her senior season at St. Benedict High School in Memphis, Tenn., where she was also named a two-time team MVP. She earned all-region honors from 2004-06 and claimed MVP honors after guiding St. Benedict to a pair of regional championships. Hughes competed for the T.A.C.A. All-Star team and is a three-time Best of the Preps honoree. In addition to her athletic accolades, she has earned the school's Scholar Athlete award from 2004-06. Hughes is also a member of the school's National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (math honor society) and Spanish National Honor Society.