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10/26/2009 - VOLLEYBALL
Rachel Urbelis Racks up A-Sun Player of the Week
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MACON, Ga. – Posting one of the nation’s single-best performances of the season, sophomore middle hitter Rachel Urbelis claimed her first Player of the Week award of her career, posting 30 kills with only six errors. Her 30 kills are not only an A-Sun single-season high, but also the ninth such performance in the NCAA.
In three matches, Urbelis led the way for the Bears with 36 kills (4.00 kills per set). On Saturday, Urbelis willed her team to victory over Campbell, smashing 30 kills and posting 20 digs. Urbelis’ offensive output against the Camels marked the second-highest single-match kill total in program history. The Geneva, Ill. native finished three kills short of tying Katie Plummer’s all-time record of 33 kills, set on Aug. 30, 2002. Urbelis now has six double-double performances on the year.
The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.
Other Top Performers
Chelsey Denesha, Kennesaw State (Sr. - RS - Watertown, N.Y. - Criminal Justice) – On a weekend when Kennesaw State needed a pair of wins, Denesha was the driving force behind KSU's wins at Campbell and East Tennessee State. The senior had consecutive double-doubles, starting with 12 kills and 12 digs as the Owls swept the Camels in Buies Creek, N.C. On Saturday in the A-Sun Match of the Week, Denesha came within two assists of a triple-double, recording 19 kills, 10 digs, eight assists, and two blocks in KSU's five-set win at ETSU. The wins moved the Owls into a tie for fifth place in the A-Sun with Belmont and gave KSU 13 wins on the year, two more than the program had in the previous three years of existence.
Stefine “Jake” Pease – Lipscomb (Jr. - S - Berryton, Kan. - Fashion Merchandising) – Pease set a new school career record for assists, totaling 3,518, besting Emily Smith's 3,501. Pease broke the record in Saturday's 3-0 win over Stetson, posting 12 digs in 3-0 win versus FGCU on Friday. The fashion merchandising major continues to quarterback the Lady Bisons and has formed a strong alliance with junior middle hitter Alex Kelly, making the pair almost impossible to stop. Lipscomb has won all 15 of their A-Sun matches and has also won 17 straight matches overall.
Mindy Quimby – USC Upstate (Fr. - OH - Keenesburg, Ohio - Graphic Design) – Quimby posted 18 kills in five-set come-from-behind win against UNF on Oct. 23, hitting .292, adding 13 digs for her second career double-double, and two kills and an ace. At Gardner-Webb on Oct. 20, the Keenesburg, Ohio native notched nine kills and added five digs, hitting a career-high .348 in the match. Also on Oct. 24 against Jacksonville, Quimby tallied four kills and five digs.
Ashley Weers – Campbell (Sr. – MB – Littleton, Colo. - Sport Management) – Despite a 0-2 week, Weers notched 3.75 kills and 0.88 blocks per set for Campbell at home. The Littleton, Colo. native notched a line of 30-5-70 in the two matches, finishing the weekend with a .357 clip. Weers also became the first Camels’, along with junior outside hitter Allyson Goldbach, to record a 20 kill match inside the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center, posting 22 on Saturday night against Mercer. Weers' 22 kills and 24.5 points were both career-highs, set during her freshman season. Weers tacked on three blocks, including two solo and one assisted. Weers now has 61 career solo blocks, moving her past Moe Norville's 59 (1991-93, '95) into 10th all-time on the block solo list. Weers also hit .426 on the night (22-2-47) with four digs. In the five set match that saw three frames go into extra points, a multitude of records were broken, including program and Pope Center marks. Campbell's season-high 78 kills was the 10th most all-time (eighth all-time in five sets), while the team's 73 assists are fifth most ever (also fifth most in five sets all-time), and the Camels' 123 digs was the fifth most in program history (fourth all-time in five sets).
