Sept. 23, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: J.R. Belew (417) 625-9359

Munnelly, Mutert repeat as MIAA Athletes of the Week

Another week, another two winners of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Athlete of the Week honors. This time, Southern's two representatives both became two-time winners on the season. In volleyball, junior Kym Mutert collected the Wilson/MIAA Setter of the Week honor, while sophomore midfielder Ashley Munnelly earned the league's women's soccer award.

Munnelly captured her third career hat trick and her seventh career multiple-goal game in an 8-2 win over Missouri-Rolla, Southern's only action last week. Munnelly opened the scoring in the game's second minute and scored the tying goal later in the first half, on a feed from fellow sophomore Kaysie Griffin, after the Lady Miners had taken a brief 2-1 lead. She picked up the hat trick and started the Lady Lions' five-goal, second-half barrage in the 59th minute on another assist from Griffin.

The three goals pushed Munnelly's season total to eight on the season, a mark that leads the MIAA. Her 25 career tallies is Southern's career record. Last season, Munnelly's 17 goals set the conference's single-season standard.

Munnelly hails from Springfield, Mo. and is a graduate of Kickapoo High School.

Mutert, a 5-8 junior from Washington, Mo. and St. Francis Borgia High School, averaged 11.31 assists and 2.38 digs in 13 games as the Lady Lions went 2-1 in league play last week.

In Southern's first game last week, Mutert recorded her second triple-double of the season when she logged 12 kills, 11 digs and 56 assists in the team's 3-2 win over Pittsburg State on Wednesday (Sept. 18). She hit .417 and added three aces and a block assist. She also had 38 assists in a 3-0 loss at Northwest Missouri on Friday, but rallied her team to a 3-2 win at Missouri Western the next day. Against the Griffons, she tallied 53 assists to go with 13 digs as Southern rallied from a 2-1 deficit in games to escape with a victory over the previously once-beaten Griffons.