Volleyball Places Four on All-Conference Team, Staff Earns Coach of the Year

GRINNELL, Iowa – The Illinois College volleyball program was well represented on the Midwest Conference postseason award lists the league announced today.

Junior Ligaya Garibay, a transfer from the College of Lake County, was named the league's Newcomer of the Year and was joined on the first team all-conference squad by senior Paige Knuffman 

Sophomore Summer Brandis and senior Jen Humbolt were selected to the second team. 

The IC coaching staff – head coach Alicia Wood and assistant coach Alexis Chambers – was named the Coaching Staff of the Year. 

Garibay, a 5-11 outside hitter from Waukegan, Ill., has recorded 300 kills this season, good for 3.03 per set. She also leads the team in digs with 241, which averages out to 2.43 per set. She has added 14 service aces as well. Garibay has the distinction of being named both the league's Defensive (October 11) and Offensive (October 31) Performer of the Week this season.

Knuffman, a 5-9 outside hitter from Liberty, Ill., leads the Midwest Conference with an average of 3.59 per set (352 total kills). She also has collected 76 digs and 11 service aces this season. Knuffman was named the Midwest Conference Offensive Performer of the Week on October 18.

The season-long starter at setter, Brandis is a 5-7 sophomore from Taylorville, Ill., and leads the conference is assists per set at 9.28. She also leads the team with 41 service aces.

Humbolt has been the team's libero all season and is third in the league in digs per set at 4.66. She also has 27 aces. 

The coaching staff guided the Lady Blues to a 7-1 record in Midwest Conference play, good for second place behind nationally ranked Cornell.