Dec. 17, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced Wednesday that Notre Dame junior outside hitter Christina Kaelin was named part of its Honorable Mention All-America team. The Louisville, Ky., native earned first-team all-Northeast Region and second-team all-BIG EAST awards earlier this season.
“I am very excited for Christina and for the Notre Dame volleyball program,” Irish head coach Debbie Brown said. “I think this award is especially significant since she earned the honor just one season after missing her sophomore year due to injury. It’s a testament to her hard work, as she has become an even better hitter than prior to her injury. Christina is a complete hitter and grew tremendously this past season.”
Kaelin becomes the 12th Irish volleyball player since 1993 to earn All-America status, as the Notre Dame program has racked 17 All-America citations over that same span. Lauren Brewster was the program’s last All-American in 2005, the same year Adrianna Stasiuk and Lauren Kelbley earned honorable mention recognition.
In her first complete season since recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined her for the duration of the 2007 slate, Kaelin was fifth in the BIG EAST with 3.57 kills/set. She posted a .295 hitting percentage in conference play and led the Irish with 193 total kills. She recorded double-digit kills in 13 of Notre Dame’s 14 league matches, highlighted by 21 converted attacks against Pittsburgh (Oct. 12). It was behind the strong swinging of her right arm that Notre Dame finished the regular season ranked fourth in the league in overall hitting percentage (.261). She recorded her third 20+ kill performance of the season with 21 knocks against top-seeded St. John’s in the second round of the BIG EAST Championship. Kaelin, who had just seven kills on a .048 clip in the tournament-opening match against Connecticut one day prior, also bruised St. John’s with a .474 average. The output tied her for ninth on Notre Dame’s all-time 20+ kills list, as her total of seven evens her with Irish volunteer assistant coach Emily Loomis.
Through just two seasons with the Irish, Kaelin has totaled 685 kills (3.37/set), 142 digs and 61 blocks.
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