Siefring grabs national honor

Only three players in the history of the University of Saint Francis volleyball program have been named All-American.

One is in the USF Athletics Hall of Fame. The other two played this year.

Kendra Siefring is one of them.

Siefring, a 2016 Fort Recovery High School graduate, was one of two Cougars to be named NAIA All-American honorable mention on Tuesday.

The 6-foot, 1-inch middle hitter, and setter Maria Pelak, joined 2004 USF graduate Allison Horn as the only Cougars to receive the honor.

Siefring helped the University of Saint Francis win a share of the Crossroads League title for just the second time in program history during the Cougars’ record-breaking season which included the most wins (30) and longest winning streak (15) in 44 years. USF lost in the CL Tournament championship to Marian and fell in the first round of the national tournament.

The former Indian was in the top 10 in the Crossroads League for six statistical categories, including blocks (137) and hitting percentage (.271), for which she was third.

She finished the year 25th in the country in total blocks.

Lexi Dellinger

South Adams – 2018

Has scored in double figures in all but one game so far for the Anderson University women’s basketball team.

The freshman point guard has a career-high 30 points she set Nov. 16 and has only scored fewer than 12 points once, a nine-point effort Nov. 29. She has started all eight games for the Ravens (4-4) and averages 16.5 points per game on 41 percent shooting. She is also 38 percent from behind the 3-point line and is 77 percent from the free-throw line.

Dellinger also averages more than 3.6 assists per game and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Kiah Wendel

Fort Rec. – 2018

Helped the Owens Community College volleyball team claim the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national championship on Nov. 10.

The freshman defensive specialist recorded 14 digs and two aces as the Express (41-6) held off Eastfield College 25-20, 25-17, 20-25, 19-25, 15-13 in Rochester, Minnesota, to win the program’s first national title.

Wendel ended her freshman season having played in all but two matches, recording 547 digs — to finish 14th in the country — to go with her 59 aces and 56 assists.

Sawyer Miller

South Adams – 2015

Finished fifth for the Indiana Tech wrestling team on Nov. 17 in the Findlay Open.

After losing in the second round of the 125-pound tournament, Miller scored back-to-back major decisions — a 12-4 win over Hunter Ryan of Cleveland State and a 17-5 score against Zach Collins of Findlay — to reach the fourth round of the consolation final. 

He defeated Indianapolis’ D.J. Smith 3-2 before receiving a forfeit in the consolation semifinal. A medical forfeit by Robert Campos of Notre Dame gave Miller the fifth-place finish. 

A week earlier, Miller placed third in the Grand View Open.

Catherine Dunn

Jay County – 2015

Recorded a new career high for the Brescia University women’s basketball team on Saturday in an 85-72 loss to Alice Lloyd.

The senior was 5-of-11 from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from long range, as she scored a game- and career-high 21 points. She was also a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, a new career best for free throw attempts and made.

The former Patriot also matched her career highs in rebounds (five) and steals (five).

Dunn has scored 10 or more points in three games this season for the Bearcats (2-9, 1-0 River States Conference).

Katy Smeltzer

Jay County – 2015

Had two top-three finishes individually and helped a winning relay for the University of the Cumberlands women’s swim team as it dominated Cambellsville on Friday, 165-31.

The senior was runner-up in the 200-meter individual medley with her time of 2 minutes, 47.63 seconds, then was third in the 400 freestyle in 5:29.19.

She joined Kristi Burnette, Julia Hnidenko and Amy Hendrick in the 200 medley relay to win the meet-opening race in 2:14.5. Smeltzer swam the butterfly leg with a split of 34.12 seconds.

Whitney Will

Fort Rec. – 2017

Nearly reached double figures in back-to-back games for the University of Saint Francis women’s basketball team.

She had nine points on 4-of-11 shooting on Wednesday in a 100-99 four-overtime loss to Indiana Wesleyan, four days after totaling nine points on a 4-of-6 effort against Marian, a 64-58 defeat in double overtime.

Will, a sophomore, hauled in four rebounds, had three steals and an assist against IWU after a pair of steals and an assist against Marian.

Hanna Ault

Jay County – 2018

Matched her career-high of six points for the Anderson University women’s basketball team on Wednesday in a 71-63 home loss to Franklin College.

She was 2-of-5 from the field, made one of her two 3-point attempts and split a pair of free throws in the loss for the Ravens (4-4). She also equaled her career high for rebounds with three in 12 minutes on the floor.

Ault has played in all eight games for the Ravens and averages 2.9 points per game.

Cindy In’t Groen

South Adams – 2016

Scored a career-high 10 points for the Huntington University women’s basketball team on Nov. 16 in a 66-64 win over IU Kokomo.

She was 3-of-4 from the field and made all four of her free throws as one of three Foresters to reach double figures. She also had four rebounds in less than 10 minutes on the court for Huntington (8-4, 1-0 Crossroads League).

Alex Bader

Jay County – 2018

Joined her cousin Anne Vormohr to help set one of the best times in the history of the Ball State University women’s swim team on Nov. 29 in the first day of the Miami Invite.

The Cardinal freshman teamed with Makenna Bottorff and Peighton Gilbert in the 200-yard freestyle relay as it finished fourth in 1 minute, 34.44 seconds, the seventh-best time in program history.