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Volleyball announces its 2019-20 team awards

Volleyball announces its 2019-20 team awards
Posted: Apr 30, 2020

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College volleyball team and head coach Jennifer Ei announced its team MVP, Cavalier and Academic award winners for the 2019-20 season today. 

Sophomore libero Rylie Barnum (Shawnee Mission West HS / Lenexa, Kan.) was selected the team's most valuable player along with earning the academic award. The Cavalier award was given to freshman outside hitter Gracie LaForge (Grain Valley HS / Grain Valley, Mo.). These two were part of a squad that posted a 25-10 record, reached the NJCAA Region VI Championship match and finished the year ranked among the top program in country. 

Barnum earned first-team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference first-team last fall, and was named the KJCCC's Defensive Player of the Year. She also was selected first-team All-District A. Barnum ranked fourth in the conference and  27th in the NJCAA with 622 digs. That total also ranks as the fifth-most in a season at JCCC. As a freshman, Barnum earned All-America honors while tallying 743 digs, third-most in program history. She closed out her career with 1,365 digs, sixth most for a career in team history.  Barnum reached double figures in digs in 37 of the 38 matches last season, including a 41-dig match in a win over Waubonsee. She also ranked second in the conference and 17th nationally with a 5.46 digs-per-set average and ranked fourth in the conference and 19th nationally with 63 service aces.   Off the courty, Barnum earned JCCC student-athlete academic honors her freshman and sophomore years, and earned first-team NJCAA All-Academic honors with a 4.0 grade point average in 2019. Barnum is continuing her career at the University of Central Missouri.  

LaForge earned second-team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College D-II honors after finishing the season with 248 kills and a 2.03 kills-per-set average, both third-best on the team. She also recorded 83 digs, 70 blocks, 14 assists and 13 aces. She posted double figures in kills in six matches, highlighted by a 16-kill effort in a sweep at Allen on October 16. LaForge also earned JCCC student-athlete academic honors with a 4.0 GPA last fall.