Kara Smith

Height:
5-8
Class:
Junior
High School:
El Paso-Gridley
Hometown:
Secor, Ill.

as a Junior (2008): Played in 101 games posting1,050 assists which moved her to fourth on the Zips all-time list(3,026) ... was fifth in the Mid-American Conference in assistsaveraging 10.40 per game, tenth on the Zips single-season list ...also led the squad in service aces with 25 (.25 SA/G) ... posted 29total blocks including three solo (.29 B/G) ... averaged .53 killsand 1.90 digs per game ... set four career highs including openingthe year with a season-high 61 assists and career-high six blockassists vs. Northern Arizona (Aug. 29) ... also posted career highsin hitting percentage (.667 vs. NIU on Oct. 18), solo blocks (2 vs.KSU on Sept. 27) and service aces (6 vs. Ball State on Nov. 9) ...her six service aces moved her into a tie for fifth on the Zipssingle game ace list ... was named the Red Flash Invitational(Sept. 19-20) MVP where she accumulated 108 assists, 21 digs, fiveservice aces, five kills and three block assists leading Akron to a3-0 tournament run ... registered 161 assists, 31 digs and fivedigs in four matches at the Smoothie King Invitational (Sept. 5-6)... helped lead the Zips to a 3-1 victory over Syracuse putting up47 assists, eight digs, three kills and one service ace ...recorded 39 assists, ten digs and two kills versus Miami (Oct. 11)... her best MAC performance arguably came against Eastern Michigan(Oct. 24) where she registered 58 assists, a conferenceseason-high, eight digs, four service aces and two kills inAkron’s 3-2 win ... grabbed 46 assists, nine digs, threekills and one service aces in the Zips first round MAC tournamentmatch against Toledo (Nov. 11) ... recorded six double-doubles onthe season.

as a Sophomore (2007): Appeared in all 30 matches for theZips ... paced the club with an average of 9.88 (7th in MAC)assists per game for a career-high total of 1,027 ... has posted1,976 assists through two seasons, the sixth-highest total inschool history ... also led UA with 28 service aces ... became moreof a complete player by adding 229 digs (2.08/game) and 30 blocks,including four solo rejections ... broke her previous personal bestwith 63 assists in a win against Wright State (Aug. 31) beforerecording a career high of 66 sets in a victory against Dartmouth(Sept. 7) ... averaged 50.9 assists per contest in a seven-matchspan from Aug. 25 to Sept. 8 ... named to Sheraton HiltonInvitational All-Tournament team after guiding the Zips to a 2-1record against Wright State, Ole Miss and Syracuse (Aug. 31-Sept.1) ... earned all-tournament honors the following weekend at theRaleigh Invitational after averaging 12.9 assists and 2.7 digs pergame as the Zips went 2-1 against Dartmouth, East Carolina and N.C.State (Sept. 7-8) ... recorded her most complete game in an Akronuniform to date with 58 assists, eight kills and a career-high 18digs in a tough five-game defeat to Ball State (Nov. 3) ... postedseven double-doubles on the season.

as a Freshman (2006): Battled numerous injuriesall season yet managed to play in all but three games as the team'sprimary setter ... led the team with 949 assists (9.49 per game)and finished third with 25 service aces ... also added 46 kills and180 digs to go with 20 blocks (three solo) ... set a season highwith 61 assists and posted four kills and eight digs in a winversus Kent State (Sept. 21) ... topped 50 assists in four matchesand recorded more than 40 assists in seven ... notched fivedouble-doubles (assists, digs) on the year with a high of 56assists and 14 digs against West Virginia (Sept. 16) ... registereda season high five kills versus Denver (Sept. 15) and apersonal-best four blocks (one solo) at Northern Illinois (Nov.10).

at El Paso-Gridley High School: Four-timeletterwinner and two-time team captain at El Paso-Gridely HighSchool ... was named team MVP in 2003, ‘04 and ‘05,while earning first team All-Midstate Conference honors in 2004 ...was an Illinois scholar-athlete award winner from 2002-05 ...guided her team to the USA Junior National Tournament as a memberof the Club Fusion 17-Black club volleyball team.

Personal: Daughter of Carol and Terry Smith ...father is a lab manager and mother is a technical analyst... hasthree older brothers, Corey, Daren and Jesse ... brother Jesseplays football at McKendree College ... was named a 2007-08 and2008-09 Scholar-Baller ... intended major is accounting ...participated in show choir (choreographed dancing and singing) forsix years.