Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

SLU's McCloud wins A-10 honor for seventh time

Columbia grad is conference's Player of the Week

After helping lead St. Louis University to a pair of Atlantic 10 Conference sweeps last week, senior Sammi McCloud, a Columbia High graduate, picked up the program-best seventh A-10 Offensive Player of the Week accolade of her career this week.

McCloud led the Billikens with a .362 hitting percentage and 4.33 kills per set in two matches last week. At Duquesne on Oct. 29, McCloud hit .400 with a match-best 13 kills to go with five digs, two blocks, one ace and one assist.

The next day in a win over Fordham, she completed a double-double with 10 digs and a match-high 13 kills. McCloud led all players with three blocks and contributed two aces and one assist.

In conference matches this season, McCloud ranks second among A-10 players with 4.06 kills and 4.91 points per set. She is hitting at a .379 clip in league tilts, which is the fourth-best rate in the A-10. Additionally, McCloud is sixth with 0.33 service aces per set and seventh with 0.85 blocks per set.

McCloud is only the third player in program history ranked among the career top 10 for kills, service aces, digs, block assists and total blocks.

Last season, she became the first SLU player named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America third team and the Under Armour Volleyball Magazine All-America honorable-mention squad. One of the most decorated players in Billiken volleyball history, McCloud also became the program's first A-10 Player of the Year in 2008.

The No. 21 Billikens return to action Friday at Charlotte. First serve is set for 6 p.m.

SEMO's Barth honored

Southeast Missouri State senior volleyball player Sarah Barth, a Central High graduate from Germantown, was named Ohio Valley Conference Setter of the Week.

Barth has returned from a broken wrist, averaging 12 assists and 2.86 digs per set. Seven of the Redhawks' matches in which they have had attack percentage of over .200 have included Barth at setter.

This is the second time this season and fourth time in Barth's career she has received Setter of the Week honors. She also was a preseason second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection.

Amanda Rickhoff, a senior outside hitters for the Redhawks, has 112 kills and 228 digs. Rickhoff is a Mater Dei graduate from Bartelso who played her first two years for Jeff Juenger at Southwestern Illinois College.

Illinois ranked fifth

Illinois is up one spot to fifth in the AVCA Coaches volleyball poll, garnering 1174 points from the 60 voters. The Illini trail only Penn State, Texas, Hawaii and Washington.

Other Illinois opponents in the rankings include Minnesota (12), Michigan (15), Florida State (16) and St. Louis (21). The Illini are ranked in the top five for the first time since Sept. 29, 1992.

Michelle Bartsch, a 6-foot-3 sophomore outside hitter from Collinsville, is second on the team in kills with 237 and blocks with 78. She is averaging 3.16 kills and 1.04 blocks per game for Illinois.

Michnowicz helping Missouri State

Missouri state sophomore hitter Kelley Michnowicz (Althoff) is fourth on the Bears (17-7 overall, 10-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference) with 151 kills and third with 73 blocks.

Out with an ankle injury since Oct. 17, she returned Saturday and helped the Bears battle past Drake in a conference match. Michnowicz was named MVC Player of the Week in early October after averaging four kills, 1.83 digs, 1.67 blocks and hitting .413 in wins over Drake and Creighton.

Former West star excels at South Florida

South Florida junior Allie Boaz (Belleville West) has helped the Bulls to a 15-6 overall record and 7-3 mark in Big East Conference play.

Boaz is third on the team with 180 kills and third with 55 blocks.

Dalke on fire with the Flames

Former Althoff standout Jessica Dalke is the starting setter for Division I Illinois-Chicago. She is second on the Flames (15-13) with 288 digs and is averaging 10.2 assists per match.

Dalke had 56 assists and 11 digs last week when UIC erased a two-set deficit and rallied to defeat conference rival Wright State 20-25, 17-25, 25-23, 25-18, 15-10.