Nov. 21, 2007

www.siusalukis.com

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Southern Illinois volleyball players Chandra Roberson and Jennifer Berwanger earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors the league announced Wednesday.

Roberson, a sophomore, earned second-team honors, while Berwanger was named to the all-freshman team.

Roberson, a middle blocker from Buffalo, N.Y., led the team in Valley play, hitting .281 with 2.73 kills per game. The sophomore was second in blocks at 1.05 per game, recording 98 total block assists this regular season, eighth all-time at SIU. In the Valley, Roberson ranked in the top-10 in both hitting percentage and blocks.

Berwanger, an outside hitter from Lake Zurich, Ill., was second on the team in MVC play with 2.66 kills, 3.44 digs and 0.39 service aces per game. The redshirt freshman .186 with 31 blocks.

Players will receive recognition at the pre-tournament banquet to be held Thursday, Nov. 22, in Springfield, Mo. Specialty award winners, including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Libero of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year will be announced at the banquet.

All-conference honors are voted on by the league's coaches.

The 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Championship will take place Friday, Nov. 23, through Saturday, Nov. 24, at Hammons Student Center on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo.

No. 4 Missouri State will face No. 5 Illinois State in the tournament opener on Friday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m., followed by No. 3 Creighton versus No. 6 Southern Illinois at 12:30 p.m. The game one winner between Missouri State and Illinois State will take on No. 1 seed and national No. 22 Wichita State on Friday evening at 5 p.m. in the first semifinal while the Creighton/Southern Illinois winner will face No. 2 UNI in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Semifinal winners will face off for the Missouri Valley Conference automatic berth into the NCAA Volleyball Championship on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 4 p.m. The championship final will air live on Fox College Sports and Metro Sports, on tape-delay on Comcast SportsNet at 8 p.m. and on Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Indiana at 9:30 p.m.

2007 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball All-Conference Teams
First Team
Kelly Goc, Creighton
Korie Lebeda, Creighton
Julie Walroth, Evansville
M.C. Richmond, Illinois State
Kari Staehlin, Illinois State
Katelyn Panzau, Missouri State
Sara Thomas, Missouri State
Ashten Stelken, UNI
Kristin Belzung, UNI
Sara Lungren, Wichita State
Abby Harsh, Wichita State
Stephanie Tokarz, Wichita State
Emily Stockman, Wichita State

Second Team
Erin Lindsey, Illinois State
Jamie Adams, Missouri State
Sara Staubach, Missouri State
Danielle Brazda, UNI
Laura Rowen, UNI
Chandra Roberson, Southern Illinois
Kelly Broussard, Wichita State

Freshmen Team
Allie Oelke, Creighton
Angela Bys, Drake
Mallory Leggett, Illinois State
Ellie Blankenship, UNI
Cara Hackmann, Missouri State
Jennifer Berwanger, Southern Illinois