Ball State University Athletics
WVB?s Raker Named MAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Week
November 04, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The awards keep coming in for Ball State women's volleyball fifth-year senior middle attacker Amanda Raker (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian/Butler), who was named the Mid-American Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Week Wednesday afternoon.
A health science major with a 3.866 grade-point average, Raker is the first Ball State women's volleyball player to be named the MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week since the 2005 season, when then-senior Sarah Obras (2002-05) claimed the honor twice (Oct. 17-23 and Nov. 7-13).
“I am really excited for Amanda,” Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said. “It all came together for her last week. She took advantage of the opportunities she had, and started playing with a lot of confidence. She is an awesome player to coach, and a real team player. She has done everything we have asked of her this year, and always does it with a smile and for the team.”
Earlier this week, Raker was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career after turning in the best two-match performance of her career by hitting a combined .850 (18-1-20) in three-set victories over Toledo (Oct. 29) and Buffalo (Oct. 31) last week.
Raker, who started her collegiate career as a women's basketball player at Butler (2011-12 & 2012-13), turned in the most impressive performance of her three-year volleyball career in Thursday's sweep of Toledo, smashing nine kills on nine attempts for a perfect 1.000 attack percentage. With the effort, Raker became the first Ball State player in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to boast a perfect attack percentage in a match with a minimum of seven attempts.
In fact, Raker is the only non-setter to boast a perfect attack percentage for the Cardinals in the rally scoring era with a minimum of five attempts. Prior to Raker, setter Brittany McGinnis (2008-11) was the last Ball State player to log a perfect attack percentage with at least five attempts, going 5-0-5 at Purdue (Aug. 28, 2009). Setter Stacie Baldwin (2001-04) is the only other Ball State player to earn a perfect attack percentage in a match with at least five attempts, going 6-0-6 versus Western Michigan (Nov. 16, 2002).
In Saturday's win over Buffalo, Raker once again led the Cardinals with a .727 attack percentage, scoring nine kills on 11 swings with just one attack error. She started the match with kills on her first five swings, giving her kills on 14 consecutive attempts, before being dug midway thought the second set. However, the ball found its way back onto the Cardinals' side of the court and Raker was able to finish the rally with her sixth kill of the match.
Raker and the Ball State women's volleyball team return to the road this weekend, when they travel to Western Michigan Friday and league co-leader Northern Illinois Saturday. Friday's match at WMU will start at 7 p.m., while Saturday's contest at NIU is set for a 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT first serve.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
