Illinois State’s Keene named to All-North Region squad

Posted on December 9, 2015

Jaelyn Keene set an Illinois State single-season record in 2015 with a .420 hitting percentage. (Photo courtesy GoRedbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Illinois State sophomore middle hitter Jaeyln Keene was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-North Region selection, while senior outside hitter Ashley Rosch earned all-region honorable mention status.

Both Keene and Rosch are repeat selections, having earned all-region honors a year ago. Keene was named an AVCA all-region selection, in addition to earning AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year accolades, in 2014. Rosch was an all-region honorable mention selection last year as well.

Keene, a native of Jacksonville, Illinois, set an Illinois State single-season record in 2015 with a .420 hitting percentage, a mark that led the Missouri Valley Conference and currently ranks 11th nationally. She led her team with 99 blocks (0.83 per set), while ranking second with 336 kills (2.82 per set) and third with 18 aces (0.15 per set). She was named to three all-tournament teams, was twice named the MVC Offensive Player of the Week, and was named to the All-MVC First Team for the second year in a row.

Keene set career highs in points (25.0) and kills (22) in a win over Southern Illinois on Oct. 17. She registered a career-high five blocks at Illinois-Chicago on Sept. 15, and a career-high six aces versus Bradley on Nov. 6. Her .842 hitting percentage against Florida A&M on Aug. 29 set a career high, and is the third-highest single-match hitting percentage in school history.

Rosch, a native of Fox River Grove, Illinois, finished her collegiate career as the first four-time All-MVC First-Team selection in program history, and just the fifth overall in league history. Rosch was selected to three all-tournament teams and named the tournament MVP at two of them in 2015. She too was twice named the Valley’s Offensive Player of the Week, and was Illinois State’s lone representative on the MVC Championship All-Tournament Team.

Rosch set new career highs in points (31.5 versus Rutgers on Sept. 5) and kills (27 against Jacksonville on Sept. 19), while also climbing many of Illinois State’s career records lists. She holds the Illinois State career record for attempts (4,914), and ranks third in career kills (1,609), fourth in career points (1,821.0) and seventh in career digs (1,272).

Both Keene and Rosch, by virtue of their all-region selections, are now eligible for AVCA All-America honors, which will be announced Dec. 16.

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