SouthtownStar Athletes On Campus: Kelly Knudsen honored at St. Xavier
By Mike Walsh For Sun-Times Media September 7, 2012 9:20PM
Kelly Knudsen, St. Xavier volleyball. | Supplied photo
Updated: October 10, 2012 6:25AM
St. Xavier’s Kelly Knudsen was named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s Player of the Week in women’s volleyball for the period ending Sept. 2.
Knudsen, a senior outside hitter, helped the Cougars sweep the field at their combined tournament with Trinity Christian and win four matches while losing just one of 16 sets. Knudsen, who prepped at Oak Lawn, guided St. Xavier to five wins on the week by recording 60 kills, 35 digs and a .310 attack percentage.
Knudsen finished with at least nine kills in each of SXU’s five matches en route to a 3.75 kills-per-set average over 16 sets. Defensively, she averaged 2.19 digs per contest.
Knudsen added five service aces, four of which came in a four-game victory over Siena Heights (Mich.). Also in that match she had 18 kills and 12 digs. Knudsen also had eight blocks on the week, seven being block assists.
Kudos for Kamp
Recent Calvin College (Mich.) graduate Rebecca Kamp was named one of 30 women to be considered for the NCAA’s Woman of the Year Award. Kamp is a native of Orland Park and a graduate of Chicago Christian.
The top 30 women are composed of 10 honorees from each of the NCAA’s three divisions and span various NCAA sports. Later this month, three finalists will be chosen from each division to form nine finalists for the award. The 2012 Woman of the Year will be announced and the top 30 women will be honored during an Oct. 14 ceremony in Indianapolis.
The top 30 honorees reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year award, with outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.
Kamp, who graduated from Calvin in May with a 3.93 grade-point average in special education/elementary education, was a four-time All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association First-Team selection in volleyball.
In 2011, Kamp became the first player in league history to be named MVP in volleyball three times. Earlier this year she was named the recipient of the MIAA’s Sheila Wallace Kovalchik Award as the conference’s most outstanding senior female student-athlete.
