Five Golden Flashes Named to Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team
12/4/2018 10:05:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Five Kent State student-athletes have been named to the 2018 Volleyball Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team, which was announced by the conference office on Tuesday (Dec. 2). Seniors Sam Jones, Amy Kober and Lexi Mantas and sophomores Kaeleigh Stang and Natalie Tagala were among the 84 student-athletes to receive Academic All-MAC honors.
The Academic All-MAC Team honors student-athletes who have excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.
Two Golden Flashes — Jones and Mantas — received Academic All-MAC recognition for the third straight season, while Kober, Stang and Tagala earned their first honor.
Jones played in all 31 matches and made 12 starts. She was an integral part of a defense that ranked 24 in the nation in digs per set, finishing second on the team with 289 digs and 2.63 digs per set. Jones posted double-digit digs 14 times, which included a career-high 25 in a win over Northern Illinois. She saw action at setter early in the season and was third on the team in assists (94).
Kober played in all 31 matches and made 17 starts. She enjoyed a breakout season at the pin, finishing second on the team with 221 kills (2.01 per set). Kober posted double-digit kills eight times, which included a career-high 19 against Rider. She added 44 total blocks, which was third-most on the team.
Mantas played in 24 matches with 17 starts, but was limited to the back row until the conference season. She totaled 115 kills, 145 digs and 23 total blocks. Mantas posted double-figure kills in four matches and double-figure digs in seven matches.
Stang played in 29 matches and made seven starts. She was third on the team with 237 digs (2.58 per set) and 16 service aces. Stang posted double-figure digs 13 times, which included a career-high 22 against Bowling Green in the regular season finale.
Tagala saw action in 18 matches and made 8 starts. She was second on the team with 219 assists and added 93 digs (2.58 per set) and 16 service aces.
Kent State has flourished in the classroom since seventh-year head coach Don Gromala took over the program in the spring of 2012. Gromala's emphasis on academics has resulted in each of his first six teams earning the AVCA Team Academic Award. During his tenure, the Flashes have received 43 Academic All-MAC, nine MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and five MAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors.
2018 Volleyball Academic All-MAC Team (Kent State honorees)
Sam Jones, Senior
Amy Kober, Senior
Lexi Mantas, Senior
Kaeleigh Stang, Sophomore
Natalie Tagala, Sophomore
