Volleyball places five on All-KCAC Teams
Taylor named Coach of the Year, Claborn unanimous pick as Player of the Year
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

Claborn

Taylor

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference announced its All-KCAC Volleyball teams on Saturday evening following the KCAC Tournament Championship match between Kansas Wesleyan and Bethany at Muir Gymnasium.

Kansas Wesleyan placed five players on the All-KCAC teams, two on second team and three on first team. First Year coach Shawn Taylor was named KCAC Coach of the Year and Sarah Claborn was named KCAC Player of the Year.

Claborn, Kelli Berg and Kolby Rhoades were named First Team All-KCAC, as selected by the coaches of the conference.

Claborn, a 5-8 junior outside hitter from Aurora, Colo., dominated the KCAC this season, her first as a Coyote, en route to being named as the unanimous choice for KCAC Player of the Year. She led the KCAC in points per game at 5.88, and in kills per game at 4.88. She was also ranked fifth in hitting percentage at .279, sixth in aces per game at .52 and tenth in the KCAC in digs per game at 3.49.

Berg

Berg, a 5-9 senior setter from Logan, Kan., was also named to the First Team All-KCAC list. Berg was ranked second in the KCAC in assists at 10.74 per game, while helping the Coyotes to the team’s first KCAC Championship since 1998.

Rhoades

Rhoades, a 5-8 senior outside hitter from Burlington, Colo., is a repeat First Team All-KCAC performer after being named the KCAC Player of the Year in 2006. Rhoades was third in the KCAC in points per game at 5.29, third in the conference in kills at 4.30 per game and eighth in the KCAC in digs per game at 4.11.

Whitney DuBois and Karissa Kent earned Second Team All-KCAC honors.

DuBois

DuBois, a 6-0 senior middle hitter from Weskan, Kan., was an integral part in leading  the Coyotes to the KCAC Championship both during the regular season and in the post season tournament. She averaged 1.52 kills per game during the year, and added 44 serving aces coming off of a powerful jump serve. DuBois also averaged .59 blocks per game in 114 games.

Kent

Kent, a 5-8 junior defensive specialist was also named Second Team All-KCAC. She finished the regular season ranked third in the conference in digs per game at 5.63, in just 87 games. Her late addition to the roster was a welcome one for Coach Shawn Taylor to fill a big void in the back row for the Coyotes.

Taylor was named as the KCAC Coach of the Year. In his first season with the Coyotes after spending the last three as a volunteer coach at Kansas State, Taylor guided Wesleyan to its first KCAC Championship since 1998 and its first KCAC Tournament Championship since 1997.

KWU has won its last 17 matches and advances to next week’s NAIA Region IV Tournament in Omaha, Neb., on November 17. Seeding and match schedule information will be released by the NAIA Region IV Tournament Committee early next week.

-- KWU SI --