INDIANAPOLIS – Lewis University sophomore forward Jessica Kelliher has been named the 2016-17 Great Lakes Valley Conference women's basketball Player of the Year, it was announced by the Conference office Wednesday. Saint Joseph’s College senior forward Kalea Parks was selected as Defensive Player of the Year, Drury University forward Hailey Diestelkamp garnered Freshman of the Year honors, while Southern Indiana mentor Rick Stein was voted by his peers as the Chuck Mallander Coach of the Year. In addition, 32 student-athletes earned All-Conference honors and five were placed on the All-Freshman team with 16 named GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award nominees.
Kelliher, a four-time Player of the Week in 2016-17, led the league in scoring during Conference games with 21.2 points per game and racked up the highest shooting percentage at 65.5. Her overall field-goal percentage for the season of 66.4 leads the entire NCAA Division II contingent, as she made 229 of her 345 attempts. Not only that, but she is the active D-II career leader in the category with a 63.2 clip and second in scoring average (19.1). The sophomore eclipsed the 30-point plateau three times this year, including a massive career-high, 38-point effort against Maryville Jan. 14. Those big games, and a number of others in which she tallied 20 or more points, helped her surpass the 1,000-point scoring threshold on Feb. 2 at William Jewell. The six-foot forward now becomes the fourth Flyer in a row to earn the league’s top honor, as Mariyah Brawner-Henley picked up the same award last season, while teammate Jamie Johnson was named GLVC Player of the Year in 2014-15. Brawner-Henley was also the 2013-14 winner, and now seven Lewis standouts have been voted as such. Furthermore, Kelliher earned a spot on the All-GLVC First Team.
Diestelkamp becomes the third Drury freshman voted the GLVC’s top newcomer, as Bethanie Fudnerburk was the first in 2010-11 and former Panther Parks earned the nod in 2012-13 before transferring to Saint Joseph’s. Diestelkamp tied for the league lead with a game-high eight steals on Dec. 31 versus Missouri S&T and tallied eight double-doubles on the year. She pulled down 10 or more rebounds on 10 different occasions as well, including a high of 16 at Arkansas Tech Dec. 6. The first-year Panther led the team in rebounds (230) and rebound average (8.5), offensive (101, 3.7 per game) and defensive (129, 4.8) boards, as well as steals (77, 2.9). She was named to the All-GLVC Second Team in addition to the All-Freshman Team.
This is the second year the league has awarded a Defensive Player of the Year laurel, and Saint Joseph’s Parks earns it this season, following Rockhurst’s Jillian Myers as the inaugural honoree. Parks posted the second-most blocked shots this season with 1.44 per game and 26 total denials. The redshirt-senior also grabbed 6.3 rebounds per game, including 4.5 on the defensive end of the floor to rank in the Conference’s top 10. And, although the redshirt-senior was chosen for the most prestigious defensive honor, she also was impressive on offense with her 19.1 scoring average in GLVC-only games that ranks second in the loop. On Feb. 6, she picked up GLVC weekly honors, while Parks’ overall efforts led to her third consecutive selection to the All-GLVC First Team.
Southern Indiana’s Stein picks up his second career Chuck Mallander Coach of the Year Award – the first coming in 2000-01 – and is the second Screaming Eagle mentor to garner the distinction, as current Bellarmine head coach Chancellor Dugan was chosen two years in a row during her time at USI in 1996-97 and 1997-98. Stein has led his team to a 24-4 overall record with a 16-2 GLVC mark to earn the GLVC East Division title and No. 2 seed in the league’s postseason event. Additionally, the Eagles were ranked as high as No. 20 – and currently sit at No. 21 – cracking the WBCA Top-25 Coaches Poll for the first time Feb. 7, after spending several prior weeks receiving votes outside the top 25. The squad is also eighth in the latest Midwest Region rankings.
Rockhurst University’s Mary Dineen joins Kelliher and Parks on the First Team and was the only player unanimously voted by the league’s head coaches. Dineen was third in scoring (18.8 points per game) in Conference-only contests, as well as fifth in assists (62, 3.44) and free-throw percentage (.877).
The league also recognized 16 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The nominees are now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced at the end of the academic year.
A complete list of the 2016-17 GLVC All-Conference teams and postseason honors follow below.
2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-GLVC TEAMS & POSTSEASON HONORS
Player of the Year
Jessica Kelliher, So., F, LEWIS
Defensive Player of the Year
Kalea Parks, R-Sr., F, SJC
Freshman of the Year
Hailey Diestelkamp, Fr., F, DU
Coach of the Year
Rick Stein, USI
FIRST TEAM
Sarah Galvin, Sr., F/G, BU
Heather Harman, Jr., G, DU
Martha Burse, Jr., G, UINDY
Jamie Johnson, R-Sr., G, LEWIS
Jessica Kelliher, So., F, LEWIS
Mary Dineen, Sr., G, RU #
Kalea Parks, Sr., F, SJC
Cassidy Clark, Sr., C, TSU
Tanner Marcum, Sr., G, USI
Maddie Nelson, Sr., G, WJC
# unanimous selection |
SECOND TEAM
Raven Merriweather, Jr., G, BU
Hailey Diestelkamp, Fr., F, DU
Paige Wilson, Sr., G, DU
Nicole Anderson, Sr., F, UINDY
Sydney Brackemyre, Jr., G/F, UINDY
Ali Ringering, Jr., G, MU
Jordan Fletcher, R-Jr., C, UMSL
Kaydie Grooms, Jr., G/F, USI
Hannah Wascher, Sr., F, USI
Rachel Edmundson, So., G, TSU
|
THIRD TEAM
Daejah Bernard, Fr., PG, DU
Briana Jones, Sr., F, DU
Syerra Cunningham, Sr., C, UIS
Destiny Ramsey, Jr., F, UIS
Stephanie Sherwood, So., F, MU
Laura Szorenyi, So., G, UMSL
Marisa Lowe, So., F, RU
Jillian Myers, Jr., G, RU
Hannah Albrecht, Fr., G, SJC
Morgan Dahlstrom, Jr., F, USI
Brittney Fair, Sr., G, UWP
*additional member due to tie |
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Daejah Bernard, Fr., PG, DU
Hailey Diestelkamp, Fr., F, DU
Mary Barton, R-Fr., G, MU
Hannah Albrecht, Fr., G, SJC
Sloane Totta, Fr., G, TSU
2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES
Kelsey Adwell, BU
Hannah Dressler, DU
Destiny Ramsey, UIS
Sydney Brackemyre, UINDY
Jamie Johnson, LEWIS
Ali Ringering, MU
Shannon McGinnis, MCK
Janie Arand, S&T
Sammie Sproul, UMSL
Rachel Ruzevich, QU
Kaci German, RU
Kalea Parks, SJC
Randa Harshbarger, USI
Ashley Hartwig, TSU
Bailey North, UWP
Maddie Nelson, WJC