Shepard, Liu Awarded For Second Time in 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Emporia State's Arica Shepard and Ting Liu have been named MIAA Volleyball Student-Athletes of the Week for the week of Sept. 15-20 as selected by a conference SID panel. It is the second conference award this season for both Shepard and Liu, and the second time this year that Emporia State has swept the weekly volleyball honors.
 
MIAA VOLLEYBALL HITTER OF THE WEEK
Arica Shepard, OH, Emporia State
Shepard had 59 kills on the week while hitting .404 and averaging 4.92 kills per set. The senior from Rossville, Kan., had 37 digs on the week, averaging 3.08 per match. Shepard had six blocks and averaged 5.46 points per set. She also had three service aces and four assists. Against No. 19 Truman, Shepard had a match-high 20 kills to go along with 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. She hit .472 with four blocks and a service aces. With ESU trailing 9-8 in the fourth set, Shepard had two straight kills to help propel the Hornets to the four set win. Against Missouri Western, she had 18 kills along with 13 digs for her second straight double-double of the week. Shepard hit .368 with two service aces and one block. She served for five points, including the last two in the first set giving ESU the 25-16 win. Shepard served for five straight points in set two to help ESU widen its lead. She had the final kill of the night as ESU took the fourth set. Against Northwest Missouri, Shepard had a season-high 21 kills and 13 digs, her third straight double-double of the week. She hit .375 with one block and two assists. Shepard had the Hornets' first four kills in the first set to help build a lead on the way to a 25-18 win. She had the final kill for the second straight match as ESU took the four set win. Shepard has had a double-double in 11 of 13 matches this season.

Others nominated: Paula Harris, UCM; Ellen Thommes, UNO; Alex Smith, SBU; Mollie Lacy, WU.

MIAA VOLLEYBALL SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK
Ting Liu, S, Emporia State
Liu had 153 assists on the week averaging 12.75 per set. The junior from Beijing, China, had 19 digs, averaging 1.58 per set and added six blocks and 12 kills to average 1.67 points per set. Liu had five service aces on the week. Against No. 19 Truman, she had 47 assists to go along with three kills and seven digs. Liu also added four blocks to go along with four service aces. She served for four straight points including an ace to close out ESU's 25-17 victory in set two. Against Missouri Western, Liu had 52 assists along with five digs and four kills. Against Northwest Missouri, she had a season-high 54 assists. Liu also had seven digs and five kills. She served for three straight points, including a service ace, to open the third set. Liu is leading the league in assists this season.

Others nominated: Caitlin Pankratz, UCM; Emily Myers, UNO; Lauren Noble, SBU; Kate Hampson, WU.