Schieder, VanBuren Recognized by Empire 8 With Year-End Honors

2017 Nov 21

After garnering Honorable Mention accolades in each of her first two seasons donning the Purple and Gold, Natalie Schieder '19 of the Elmira College women's volleyball team was named to the Empire 8 All-Conference First Team following an outstanding 2017 campaign.

Schieder, a 5-foot-8-inch outside hitter, helped the Soaring Eagles more than triple their win total from a year ago by posting a 20-13 overall record this fall. The 14-match improvement in the win column marks EC's second-best year-to-year turnaround in program history. Not only did she pace the conference in kills per set (4.15) for the second consecutive season, but Schieder proved to be one of the most lethal hitters in all of NCAA Division III; the junior ranks 19th nationally in kills per set average, while her 502 kills are the sixth-highest total in the country. With 502 kills on the season, Schieder tied Leah Malliris '01 for ninth place on EC's single-season leaderboard and moved into sole possession of ninth place all-time in career kills (1,140) as well.

In addition to her offensive prowess, the Alden, New York, native finished fifth in the E8 in both aces (0.53) and digs per set (3.67). She floored double-digit kills in 27 of Elmira's 33 matches and picked up double-doubles on 20 occasions. Schieder ended the year with no fewer than 12 kills in the final 11 matches and logged double-doubles nine times in that stretch, helping her become just the seventh player in EC history to amass at least 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career.

Schieder is the first Soaring Eagle to receive Empire 8 All-Conference First Team accolades since former American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America selection Taryn Rumsey '14 earned the honor as a senior in the fall of 2013. She is also the first EC student-athlete since Rumsey to earn All-Conference accolades three times in her career.

The Empire 8 also honored EC's lone senior, Courtney VanBuren '18, as Elmira's representative on the E8 Sportswoman of the Year Team. As a member of the Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year Team, VanBuren was recognized for "Competing with Honor and Integrity," which the conference emphasizes as an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. The Middleport, New York, native appeared in 13 matches during her senior season, logging 12 kills, five digs and a career-high five blocks.