St. John's University Athletics
Jackie Ahlers Named AVCA All-American Honorable Mention
12/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 17, 2003
- Jamaica, N.Y.-St. John's volleyball sophomore Jackie Ahlers (Stony Point, N.Y.) was named AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, it was announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Association She is the first Red Storm to be honored on the national level, capping arguably the finest season in St. John's volleyball history. During the season, Ahlers set the BIG EAST conference and St. John's record for kills in a single season with 608. She ranked 23rd in the country and first in the BIG EAST in kills per game, averaging 5.02 and ranked first in the conference in total points.
Head Coach Joanne Persico-Smith has nothing but praise for her sophomore outside hitter. "This is a great honor for Jackie and the St. John's volleyball program to earn national recognition. It was a very exciting season and Jackie is certainly very deserving of all her postseason honors. Jackie has a tremendous amount of talent and being only a sophomore, if she continues to work hard, I think she can take her game to an even higher level. She is one of the most naturally talented players I have had the privilege of coaching."
Ahlers' was named to the AVCA All-Northeast regional team and first team all-BIG EAST, becoming only the second St. John's player to earn this distinction and first since alum Olga Roudvoski earned it during her senior season in 2000.
During the season Jackie was named to four different all-tournament teams, including being named the 10th Annual SJU Classic Most Valuable Player. For her efforts over the course of the season, Jackie was named BIG EAST player of the week three times and ECAC player of the week once.
Ahlers led the Red Storm to its most successful season in the program's 10-year history. The team set the single season record for wins with a 26-9 overall record and finished the season regionally ranked by the AVCA. The Red Storm finished conference play tied for fourth at 7-5, falling short of the BIG EAST tournament due to a three-way tiebreaker.
For her career, Ahlers' continues to take her play to the next level. She set the mark for kills by freshman with 512 during her first season and has totaled 1120 for her career. She currently ranks third on the career-kills list, 421 off the all-time mark with two full seasons of eligibility left. She has a career hitting percentage of .288, good for third on the all-time list.