BEREA, OHIO -- Five Baldwin-Wallace College volleyball players were named All-Ohio Athletic Conference and three others were named Academic All-OAC. The All-OAC team is selected by the OAC Coaches. The Academic All-OAC squads are chosen by the Faculty Representatives to the OAC from each school.
Named to the All-OAC first-team were juniors Cassie Palmer (Greenwich/ South Central) and Emily Bowen (Tiffin Columbian) and second-team choices were senior Sarah Gordon (Wooster Senior), junior Kerry Helm (Luckey/ Eastwood) and sophomore Laura Leach (Norwalk Senior). For Palmer, it was her third straight All-OAC honor and second time on the first-team. Bowen was an honorable mention choice a year ago and elevated to the first unit this fall. Both Gordon and Helm were second-team picks a year ago and are on that same team again this year. Leach is the lone first-year All-OAC pick.
Palmer is one of the top hitters in the OAC and is among the OAC leaders in kills, hitting percentage and blocks. Bowen is also among the OAC leaders in kills and defensive digs and is the top all-around player for the Yellow Jackets.
Gordon, also an All-OAC and Academic All-OAC basketball player, is among the OAC leaders in kills, digs and blocks. Helm is among the top setters in the OAC and ranks third all-time in school history. Leach, who came on strong in the second half of the season, was among the team leaders in kills and hitting percentage and among the OAC leaders in blocks.
On the Academic All-OAC squad, Gordon, Helm and Palmer are all first-year choices. Gordon carries a 3.8 grade point average in psychology. Helm has a 3.91 in middle school education. Palmer carries a 3.3 in business administration.
The Yellow Jackets, 27-6 overall, play Capital University, 29-8 overall, tonight at Ohio Northern University in the semifinals of the 2002 OAC Tournament. B-W, ranked 14th in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll, can advance to the OAC Championship match for the third time in the last four years with a win. A victory may also assure a spot in next week's NCAA Division III National Tournament. The pairings for the NCAA tourney will be announced late Sunday (Nov. 10) night.
FOR MORE INFORMATION on B-W Sports Information, please call the SID Office at (440) 826-2327, FAX us at (440) 826-2329 or e-mail SID Kevin Ruple at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Volleyball Coach Vicki Brault, please call her at (440) 826-3254, FAX her at (440) 826-6980 or 2192 or e-mail her at vbrault@bw.edu. For all of the latest Yellow Jacket volleyball information and news, please log onto our web site at www.bw.edu/athletics and then go to the volleyball page.
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