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2006 Volleyball Roster
Roster
Ellie Blankenship
- Position:
- Defensive Specialist
- Class:
- Freshman
- High School:
- Kennedy
- Hometown:
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
2009: Selected as one of 24 collegiate athletes by USA Volleyball to participate in the U.S. Women's National A2 program later helping her team take bronze at the USA Volleyball Open Championships...earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honorable mention honors...owns the UNI record for career digs, digs per set in a career and digs per set in a season...named first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference as well as a member of the MVC All-Tournament team... named MVC Defensive Player of the Week three times (8/31, 9/8 and 9/21)...posted a season-high 36 digs vs. Wichita State (10/16) while recording double-digit digs in all 34 matches...re-set the record for digs in a season with 698...averaged 5.82 digs per set...led the Valley in digs while also ranking fourth in service aces (38).
2008: Was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection ... set UNI records for digs in a season (676) and digs per set (5.59) ... she had owned both records previously that she set as a freshman ... recorded double figures in digs in 33 of 34 matches ... topped 20 digs in 14 matches, and reached 30 or more digs three times ... had a career high 38 digs against Illinois State 10/25 ... her 5.59 digs per set average ranked seventh nationally and led the Missouri Valley Conference ... became first UNI player to reach 1,000 career digs before her junior season against Missouri State 10/18 ... twice named State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week (9/8 and 10/27) ... named to the UNI Invitational All-Tournament Team.
2007: Had the most productive season ever for a UNI defensive specialist ... recorded then UNI-record 624 digs (5.43 digs per set) as a true freshman ... racked up double-figures in digs in all 33 matches ... had 13 matches of 20 or more digs, and three matches of 30 or more ... career best 32 digs in just her third college match, against Kentucky 8/25 ... named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team ... named MVC Freshman of the Week Nov. 12 after averaging 6.67 digs per game over two UNI matches ... her 25 digs against Evansville 11/9 tied a UNI record for the most digs ever by a Panther player in a three-game match ... finished second on the team in service aces with 23.
High School: Earned eight letters in three sports at Kennedy: volleyball (3), tennis (3) and basketball (2) ... three-year starter in volleyball ... first-team all-conference in volleyball and second-team all-state as a senior ... was team co-captain in 2006 ... played in IGCA Senior All-Star Volleyball Classic ... four-year honor roll student ... in tennis, team was state runner up in 2004 and 2006 and state champion in 2007.
Personal: Daughter of David and Lois Blankenship ... full name is Danielle ZoAnne Blankenship ... has an older sister, Carrie, and an older brother, Troy ... sister, Carrie, played college volleyball at Northern Illinois; brother, Troy, played college football at Iowa State; and mother, Lois, played college basketball at Iowa...majoring in management: information systems... born June 4, 1989 in Cedar Rapids.
CAREER HIGHS
Kills: 1, several times
Aces: 4, several times
Blocks: 0
Digs: 38 vs. Illinois State (10/25/08)
Assists: 6, at Drake (9/18/09)
Points: 4.0, several times
