Johnson County Community College
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Julie Haas, Director, ext. 3120
Peggy Graham, Writer, ext. 3425
Tyler Cundith, Sports Information Director, ext. 3122

Story by: Tyler Cundith
12/6/2005

Three Cavaliers Named Volleyball All-American

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The National Junior College Athletic Association recently announced its 2005 Volleyball All-America Team, and three members from the national champion Johnson County Community College squad were selected.  Sophomores Lauren Kracl and Emily Escher were named as first-team All-American, and freshman Katie Latenser was selected to the honorable mention team.  JCCC now has 10 All-America selections in team history.  The three this season are the most in a single year.  These three played a vital role in leading JCCC to a 35-4 record and the program’s first NJCAA national championship.

Lauren Kracl, a sophomore outsider hitter from Eudora, Kan., was voted the top player in NJCAA Division II volleyball.  She also was voted the top player in District K, Region VI and the East Jayhawk Conference.  She is the fifth player in team history to earn MVP of the conference.  Kracl also was voted MVP of the national tournament after leading JCCC with 98 digs and a hitting percentage of .270.  Kracl ranks among the top players nationally in kills and digs per game.  Her 434 total kills and 495 digs this season rank third all-time at JCCC.  Earlier in the campaign, Kracl was twice selected the Kansas Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week, and on she was the NJCAA Player of the Week for Sept. 18-24.

“Lauren is an outstanding athlete,”  head coach Jill Stinson said.  “She is an extremely powerful hitter and blocker, and at times dominated matches.”

Kracl joined the program this season after earning honorable mention All-MIAA accolades at Missouri Western University her freshman year.  She was a standout athlete at Eudora High School garnering All-State accolades seven times in volleyball and basketball.

Emily Escher, a sophomore right side hitter from Topeka, Kan., earned first-team NJCAA All-American, first-team All-District K and first-team East Jayhawk All-Conference accolades this season.  She also was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team.  She led JCCC with 124 digs and was second with 80 kills in the national tournament.  Escher ranked second on the team this season with 367 kills and 540 digs.  Her 540 digs are the second highest season total all-time at JCCC.  Escher also was twice selected the Kansas Jayhawk Conference Player of the Week.

“Emily has a great feel for the game, and she finds a way to win,”  Stinson said.

Escher also joined the program after starting at another program.  Escher used a redshirt season at Washburn University before she transferred to JCCC for the 2004 season.  As a freshman, Escher earned all-district and and all-conference honors, and was selected the team’s MVP.  Escher ranks third all-time at JCCC for career kills with 655 and second for career kills with 726.

Katie Latenser, a freshman libero from Kansas City, Mo., proved to be on the top libero’s in the country. In addition to earning All-American, Latenser also was selected first-team All-District K and first-team East Jayhawk All-Conference.  She led the team with 584 digs, which is a new single season record at JCCC.  The previous record was 452 set in 1991.  She also led the team with 55 service aces.

“Katie came in as a freshman and played with tremendous confidence,”  Stinson said.  “She also possesses outstanding ball control skills.”