November 14, 2002

MOUNT VERNON, IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Loras College senior middle hitter Shannon Leonard (Ottumwa, Iowa/Ottumwa HS) was named 2002 Volleyball Most Valuable Player. Loras Head Coach Brian Lamppa and Wartburg Head Coach Jennifer Walker were named 2002 Volleyball co-Coaches of the Year.

Leonard ranked in the top-five of three statistical categories, leading the IIAC with 4.22 kills per game in nine Conference matches. She also finished the season fourth with 0.56 aces per game and fifth with a .327 hitting percentage (135 kills-43 errors-281 total attacks). Overall, she led the Duhawks in kills (518), kills per game (3.92), aces (70) and blocks (143). She also ranked second on the team with a .406 hitting percentage. Leonard hit over .500 in 14 of 38 matches and over .450 in 19 of 38 matches.

Walker led Wartburg to its first Iowa Conference Championship this season as the Knights won the Conference Tournament and finished second in the regular season to tie Central for the title. Wartburg enters the NCAA Regional Tournament this weekend with a 29-9 overall record, equaling the school record for victories in a season (29-5 in 2000). The 2002 season marks Walker’s fourth 20-win season in five years at Wartburg and the Knights are making their third NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in that time.

Lamppa led Loras to a 32-7 overall record this season and a third-place finish in the Conference Tournament. Twenty three of Loras’ 32 victories were decided in three games and seven were decided in four games. Four of the seven losses went five games. Loras only lost back-to-back matches once and put together win streaks of three, four, five, seven and 10 matches during the season. Loras has won at least 20 matches in each of Lamppa’s four seasons. His 98 career victories rank second all-time among Duhawk volleyball coaches.

The IIAC also announced today the Volleyball All-Conference Team. The 16-member team includes eight First Team players and eight Second Team players. Conference co-champion Wartburg had four players earn All-IIAC honors including three members of the First Team. Co-Champion Central, Loras and Simpson each had three players honored, Central and Loras with two First Team selections and Simpson with one First Team selection. Simpson senior middle hitter Jessica Nauman is just the second Iowa Conference volleyball player to earn First Team honors four times, joining former Central standout Candace Wilson.

The complete 2002 IIAC All-Conference Volleyball Team is here.

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