Press Release courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference
The 2017-18 season is a landmark one for the Missouri Valley Conference and for women’s sports. To help celebrate the 45th anniversary of Title IX and the 25th anniversary of women’s sports, the Valley is naming 25-Year Anniversary Teams for each of the Valley’s sponsored women’s sports.
Team composition for each sport has been determined by a 25-person committee (two representatives from each MVC institution and a panel of five voters from the Conference office). The team composition includes years in which league teams competed under the MVC umbrella during the past 25 years (1992-2017) and does not include competition from the current season.
The Missouri Valley Conference was founded in 1907 and is the nation’s second oldest Division I athletics conference. Women’s sports were incorporated into the MVC in 1992, having previously competed under the Gateway Conference banner from 1982-92. In August 2017, the Conference announced its 2018 Hall of Fame Class, which featured three women (in the six-person class). A total of 22 women’s athletes, coaches and pioneers have been honored by the MVC as part of the Hall.
For women’s volleyball, a total of 47 student-athletes were nominated, and the voting panel determined a ‘Top 10’ from a list of 25 finalists. Those top 10 honorees are listed below, and the top vote-getter is denoted.
Women’s Volleyball (sponsorship from 1992-2017): 12 different institutions have sponsored women’s volleyball in the Conference during the past 25 years, including: Bradley (1992-present); Creighton (1992-2013); Drake (1992-present); Evansville (1994-present); Illinois State (1992-present); Indiana State (1992-present); Loyola (2013-present); Missouri State (1992-present); Northern Iowa (1992-present); Southern Illinois (1992-present); Tulsa (1992-95); and Wichita State (1992- 2016). Valparaiso also competes in women’s volleyball. Valpo joined the Conference for the 2017-18 season.
| Name | School | Years | Notable Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsay Stalzer | Bradley | 2002-05 | 3-time All-MVC, MVC Freshman of the Year, 2005 MVC Player of the Year, 2nd on All-Time MVC Kills List |
| Ashley Rosch | Illinois State | 2012-15 | 4-time All-MVC, 2014 MVC Tournament MVP, 2012 MVC Freshman of the Year |
| Lily Johnson | Missouri State | 2014-Present | 3-time All-MVC, 2-time MVC Player of the Year, 3-time AVCA Honorable Mention All-America; MVC All-Time Kills Leader |
| Linette White | Missouri State | 2000-03 | 3-time All-MVC, 2003 MVC Co-Player of the Year, 2003 AVCA All-America |
| Jill Arganbright | UNI | 2000-03 | 4-time All-MVC, MVC All-Time Assist Leader |
| Kara Galer | UNI | 1992-95 | 2-time All-MVC, 2-time MVC Player of the Year, 2-time MVC Tourney MVP |
| *Molly O’Brien | UNI | 2000-03 | 4-time All-MVC, 3-time MVC Player of the Year, 2-time MVC Tourney MVP, MVC Freshman of the Year, AVCA All-America, MVC Hall of Fame |
| Bre Payton | UNI | 2008-11 | 3-time All-MVC, 3-time MVC Player of the Year, 2-time MVC Tourney MVP, 2-time AVCA All-America |
| Shannon Perry | UNI | 1996-99 | 3-time All-MVC, 2-time MVC Player of the year, AVCA All-America |
| Abbie Lehman | Wichita State | 2014-16 | 3-time All-MVC, 3-time AVCA All-America, MVC All-Time Career Hitting % leader |
*denotes No. 1 choice in balloting
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