NIIC Announces Postseason Volleyball Awards

AURORA, Ill. November 10, 2005 - Aurora University’s women’s volleyball team placed two players on the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference All-Conference Team, while two more were selected Honorable Mention All-Conference and Head Coach Jerry Angle was named NIIC Coach of the Year.

Two newcomers to the Spartan program, junior outside hitters Lindsey Gruber (Antioch, IL/Antioch HS) and Sarah Campbell (Lake Villa, IL/Grayslake HS) were selected All-Conference by the NIIC women’s volleyball coaches for their outstanding play on the year. In conference action, Gruber averaged 4.58 kills and 5.75 digs per game with a .186 kill percentage, while Campbell averaged 4.46 kills and 5.21 digs per game with a .252 kill percentage. On the season, Gruber had a team high 3.83 kills per game and a .175 kill percentage with Campbell averaging 3.39 kills with a .179 kill percentage.

Sophomore setter Brook Sunleaf (Yorkville, IL/Yorkville HS) repeated as an NIIC Honorable Mention All-Conference selection, she was joined on the Honorable Mention team by senior Libero Jamie McPherrin (Wheaton, IL/Glenbard North HS) . Sunleaf averaged 7.21 assists and 1.96 digs per game in NIIC action with McPherrin averaged 6.13 digs per game in the NIIC.

AU Head Coach Jerry Angle was named the NIIC Volleyball Coach of the Year as selected by his peers. The award is Angle’s second of his career, the first coming after the 2001 season when he was coaching at NIIC foe Benedictine University. Angle led the Spartan women to a 19-17 overall regular season record, the first season since 1996 that AU’s volleyball team has finished above .500. The Spartans went 5-2 in the NIIC, finishing in second place overall in the final season of the conference and won the NIIC tournament championship.

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