November 2, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced today that Wartburg College senior middle hitter Ashley Rogers (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert) has been named the 2007 IIAC Volleyball Most Valuable Player and Central College head coach Kent Clayberg has been named 2007 IIAC Volleyball Coach of the Year.

Rogers led Wartburg (16-17, 6-2 IIAC) to a share of second place in the Iowa Conference standings and the third seed in this weekend’s Conference Tournament. She averaged 4.54 kills, 3.28 digs, and 1.32 blocks per game, and had a .283 hitting percentage (568 kills-131 errors-1542 total attempts) in 33 matches (125 games) prior to the Tournament. She hit .300 or over in 16 matches, reaching double digits in kills 31 times and digs 23 times, recording 24 double-doubles. Rogers finished second in the Conference in kills per game, third in blocks per game, and fifth in hitting percentage. In eight Conference matches (30 games), she averaged 4.80 kills, 3.43 digs, and 1.67 per game while hitting .296 (144-32-379). She led the league in kills and blocks and was fourth in hitting percentage.

Clayberg, in his fifth season as head coach and 10th season on the volleyball staff at Central, led the Dutch to a perfect 8-0 record and the top seed in this weekend’s Conference Tournament where it enters with a 24-8 overall record. Central finished with an undefeated record in Conference play for the 10th time in school history and the fourth time in Clayberg’s five seasons at the helm. Among the team’s 24 wins are victories over No. 11 Ohio Northern and No. 13 St. Thomas (Minn.). Central has been ranked in each American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) regular-season poll, peaking at 18th in the Oct. 30 poll, and has been ranked in both of the last two Central Region rankings conducted by the NCAA. After sharing IIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005, this is Clayberg’s first solo Coach of the Year honor.

The IIAC also announced today the 2007 volleyball All-Conference Team. The 16-member Team includes nine repeat All-Conference performers including four – Central’s Terri Berger and Katie Johnson, Wartburg’s Ashley Steines, and Coe’s Shanon Nelson – who are three-time All-Conference selections and one – Rogers – who concludes her career as a four-time First Team selection. Rogers is the just the third IIAC volleyball player to be named First Team All-Conference four times, joining former Central standout Candace Wilson (1997-2000) and former Simpson standout Jessica Nauman (1999-2002).

Conference Champion Central and runner-up Coe each had three All-Conference players including two First Team members. Buena Vista, Simpson, and co-runner-up Wartburg each had two All-Conference players selected, while one player each from Cornell, Dubuque, Loras and Luther was also tabbed. Central, Cornell, Dubuque, Luther, Simpson, and Wartburg also had one player receive Honorable Mention.

The complete 2007 IIAC All-Conference Volleyball Team is here.

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