Nov. 22, 2012

SPRINGFIELD -- Three Missouri State volleyball players earned all-Missouri Valley Conference honors Thursday (Nov. 22), it was announced at the MVC Tournament awards ceremony in Springfield. Junior setter Carly Thomas was selected to the first team for a second consecutive season, while Andrea Beaty and Kaitlin Jaeger earned second-team nods.

Thomas ranks third in the MVC and 30th nationally with 11.17 assists per set while averaging 1.30 kills, 2.94 digs and 0.38 blocks per set on .239 hitting. The junior from Swansea, Ill., has three kill-assist-dig triple-doubles this season, the most for any MSU player since 1989, along with 15 assist-dig double-doubles. Thomas ranks second in school history with 3,371 career assists, and was the CVU.com National Player of the Week Oct. 30.

Beaty averages 2.49 kills and 1.04 blocks per set on .236 hitting for the year, improving those numbers to 2.60/1.06/.256 in MVC matches. The MVC Player of the Week Nov. 19, Beaty has led MSU in blocking 15 times and kills nine times, both leading the team. The junior middle/right side has 978 career kills between MSU and Saint Louis, where she played her first two collegiate seasons.

Jaeger ranks fourth in the MVC in hitting percentage (.326) and third in league matches (.338). The Webb City, Mo., native has 211 kills and 69 blocks on the season despite missing several matches with an injury, and averages 2.45 kills and 0.80 blocks per set. The sophomore middle blocker has two matches this season with at least 13 kills and no errors, including a 14-0-18 performance for a .778 attack efficiency against New Orleans.

Missouri State (16-14, 10-8 MVC) takes the No. 6 seed into this week's State Farm MVC Tournament and plays third-seeded Wichita State (20-8, 13-5) at 7:30 tonight at Hammons Student Center.

First Team
Emily Adney, Wichita State
Megan Bober, Creighton
Kelli Browning, Creighton
Krista DeGeest, UNI
Chelsey Feekin, Wichita State
Melanie Jereb, Creighton
Megan Lehman, UNI
Alysia Mayes, Southern Illinois
Jenny Menendez, Illinois State
Ashley Rosch, Illinois State
Laura Thole, Southern Illinois
Carly Thomas, Missouri State
Macy Ubben, UNI

Second Team
Andrea Beaty, Missouri State
Amy Braun, UNI
Elizabeth Field, Wichita State
LeighAnn Hranka, Illinois State
Kaitlin Jaeger, Missouri State
Leah McNary, Creighton

All-Freshman Team
Ashlyn Driskill, Wichita State
Cassie Effken, Drake
Kate Elman, Creighton
Melanie Jereb, Creighton
Ashley Rosch, Illinois State
Taylor Pippen, Southern Illinois