March 7, 2007
Women’s Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TRIO OF SYCAMORES EARN VALLEY POSTSEASON HONORS

ST. LOUIS –The postseason honors keep rolling in for junior Laura Rudolphi and senior Rachel Maenpaa as the Sycamores’ dynamic duo in the post each earned All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team mentions as announced by the league office earlier today (March 7). In addition, Kelsey Luna was named to the MVC All-Freshman squad. All of the league’s postseason honors were voted on by a panel of conference head coaches, media representatives and sports information directors.

Rudolphi, who has already racked up the Valley’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in addition to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Third Team honors, earns her first career All-Valley mention by placing on the second team. Rudolphi averages 14.3 points (seventh-best in the Valley) as well as 7.1 rebounds (fourth-best in the Valley) per game. She owns an Indiana State career record 102 blocked shots and her 37 blocks this year are second-most in the history of the program.

Rudolphi posted a career-best total of 23 points against both Missouri State and Evansville this season. She recorded a career-best 12 rebounds in a 76-66 road victory over Illinois State. Rudolphi reached double figures scoring in 17-of-18 Missouri Valley Conference games.

Maenpaa added to her All-MVC Scholar Athlete First Team as well as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors by likewise earning an All-MVC Second Team mention. She is averaging 14.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this year. In the regular season finale, Maenpaa posted a career-high 32 points as the Sycamores downed Drake on the road.

She scored 23 points at No. 12 Vanderbilt, and completed back-to-back 10-of-17 shots from the field games to score 25 points and nine rebounds in an 84-67 win over Drake.

Her .479 career field goal percentage ranks tenth-best in the history of the program. Maenpaa ranks in the Top 12 in The Valley for both rebounds and points. She has played in 121 career games, which is second-most ever by a Sycamore women’s basketball player. At Drake, Maenpaa became just the tenth ISU women’s basketball player to score both 1,000 points and pull down 500 rebounds in her career.

Luna, a freshman guard, becomes the fifth Sycamore under head coach Jim Wiedie to be named to the Missouri Valley’s All-Freshman Squad. She is now one of five Valley student-athletes that are eligible to be named to earn the coveted MVC Freshman of the Year title.

Luna is averaging 11 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. She leads the league in 3-pointers made per game (2.55) as well as 3-point field goal percentage (45.4%). Luna’s 74 3-pointers this season are just eight shy of the Indiana State record of 82, currently held by Kourtney Mennen in 2002-03.

All of the league’s specialty awards; including Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Rawlings Coach of the Year will be announced at the league’s annual banquet to be held March 8 in West Des Moines, Iowa.

No. 3 Indiana State hits the court at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament against No. 6 Creighton on Friday, March 9 at the Drake Knapp Center. Tip-off is slated for 9:35 p.m. (ET).

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