Rountree Repeats As SLIAC Volleyball Player of the Year
Tess Rountree continued a conference theme as she repeated as the SLIAC Player of the Year. Also picking up individual honors on the 2014 SLIAC Volleyball All-Conference team were Defensive Player of the Year, Jamie Schollenbruch and Newcomer of the Year, Allyson Mitchell. Spalding University's Bridget Yates was named the 2014 SLIAC Coach of the Year.
Rountree, a senior from Paso Robles, Calif., becomes the ninth player in SLIAC history to repeat as Player of the Year. Rountree led the conference in kills (328), kills per set (4.97), and solo blocks (41) and was second in digs (281) and third in service aces (28). Rountree recorded double digit kills in all but three matches this season and twice finished with more than 20 kills in conference action.
Schollenbruch, a junior libero from Decatur, Ill., led the conference in digs this season, finishing with 300 in 18 conference matches. She averaged 4.84 digs per set and helped the Panthers to their fifth consecutive SLIAC regular season title. She is just the second player in program history to be named SLIAC Defensive Player of the Year, joining Kerry Hammer in the 2008 season.
Mitchell, a freshman from Gurnee, Ill., recorded 190 kills in 18 conference matches, fifth most in the SLIAC. She hit .275 during SLIAC action and led the conference in service aces with 34. She finished with double digit kills in 10 of her 18 conference matches this season and is the first Panther to win Newcomer of the Year since Corinne Coon in 2010.
Bridget Yates was named the SLIAC Coach of the Year after leading the Golden Eagles to a 17-15 overall record and a 13-5 record in the SLIAC. Spalding finished fourth in the conference standings, earning a spot into the 2014 SLIAC Volleyball Tournament for the first time in program history.
Greenville College was awarded the SLIAC Team Sportsmanship Award for the second time since the award's inception in 2005. The team Sportsmanship Award is given to the team whose players, coaches and fans best exhibit the principles of good sportsmanship. The SLIAC also recognizes one individual from each team, selected by his coach and teammates, who throughout the season best displays the ideals of sportsmanship. The 2014 All-Sportsmanship Team includes Alexis Dick (Blackburn College), Anna Gauger (Eureka College), Lucy Paasch (Fontbonne University), Joelle Scholten (Greenville College), Lindsey Johnson (Iowa Wesleyan College), Brittany Spicer (MacMurray College), Molly Moser (Principia College), Victoria Heitzman (Spalding University), Allie O'Toole (Webster University), and Briana Patlan (Westminster College).
| SLIAC ALL-CONFERENCE | FIRST | TEAM |
| Player | Pos. | School |
| Elisa Burkman |
OH | Spalding |
| Lexi Collier |
MH | Westminster |
| Sam Kersting |
MH | Webster |
| Riley Lawrence |
OH | Westminster |
| Kersten McDonough |
OH | Fontbonne |
| Tess Rountree |
OH | Principia |
| Jamie Schollenbruch |
L | Greenville |
| SLIAC ALL-CONFERENCE | SECOND | TEAM |
| Player | Pos. | School |
| Jessica Diehl |
MB | Spalding |
| Jenny Howard |
OH | Webster |
| Amanda Kiso |
MB | Westminster |
| Allyson Mitchell |
OH | Greenville |
| Rachel Nelson | MH | Webster |
| Kayla Reeg |
S | Westminster |
| Nicole Shaeffer |
OH | Greenville |
| SLIAC ALL-CONFERENCE | THIRD | TEAM |
| Player | Pos. | School |
| Michaela Balducci |
OH | Eureka |
| Victoria Bowens |
MB | Blackburn |
| Katelyn Cosgrove |
S | Spalding |
| Morgan Hauser |
OH | MacMurray |
| Cierra Howard |
L | Iowa Wesleyan |
| Ellen Lueking |
S | Greenville |
| Allie O'Toole |
S | Webster |
| Savanna Sprague |
S | Principia |
| Jordan Vehlewald |
OH | Webster |
