Monday, November 16, 2009

MACON, Ga. – Jacksonville's Nicki Kent earned Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honors after leading the Dolphins to an undefeated weekend, as Jacksonville picked up the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Sun Volleyball Championship

Kent, a senior middle blocker, posted a near perfect weekend in leading the Dolphins to a 2-0 record and the No. 2 seed in the A-Sun Championship. In two games, Kent averaged 2.0 kills and 1.57 blocks per set while hitting a blistering .560 (14-0-25) on the court. Against Kennesaw State, the Vancouver, Wash. native tallied a match-high six blocks in a 3-0 win. Against Mercer, the elementary education major helped spark a comeback 3-1 win by notching 12 kills, four blocks and a .706 (12-0-17) hitting percentage.

Fans can follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and on Facebook. Visit twitter.com/AtlanticSun to begin receiving updates on conference news, weekly awards, and from A-Sun championships. Atlantic Sun followers with a Facebook account can become a "fan" of the conference by searching for the Atlantic Sun Conference.

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
Meghan Hinemeyer, Lipscomb (Jr. - Outside Hitter - Overland Park, Kan. - Psychology) – Hinemeyer posted match highs in kills against Campbell (13) and ETSU (14), as the Lady Bisons finished the season with a 20-0 record. Hinemeyer also notched double-doubles in each match with 11 digs against ETSU and 14 digs against Campbell.

Channing Salava, Belmont (So. - Setter - Clearwater, Fla. - Communications) – Salava quarterbacked Belmont to straight-set wins against ETSU and Campbell to close out the regular season at home, hitting .478 with 2.16 kills per set, 9 assists per set and a total of 15 digs.

Asjia Stokes, Kennesaw State (Sr. - Outside Hitter - North Chicago, Ill. - Human Services) – Stokes led Kennesaw State to its first-ever A-Sun Championships berth. On Saturday afternoon, Stokes had a team-high 17 kills to go with three aces and three total blocks as the Owls defeated the Ospreys in five sets to punch KSU’s ticket to the A-Sun Championships.

Rachel Urbelis, Mercer (So. - Outside Hitter - Geneva, Ill. - Marketing) – Urbelis led the way for the Bears over the weekend, spiking 24 kills for an average of three kills per set in two matches. Urbelis also posted 22 digs and four total blocks in Mercer's split against UNF and Jacksonville.