Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Ex-Streak, Charger Baker to continue volleyball career at UIS

Carl Sandburg College volleyball player Sara Baker has signed to continue her career next season at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

Baker, a 5-foot-11 setter from Galesburg, led the Chargers last fall with 413 kills, 733 assists and 82 aces during her sophomore season. She also finished second on the team in digs with 135, ranked 21st nationally in hitting percentage and ranked 26th nationally in aces. Baker was a second-team NJCAA Division II All-American in addition to being an All-Arrowhead Conference, All-Region IV and All-Region IV tournament first-team selection.

UIS is an NCAA Division II program that competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Prairie Stars finished 5-25 last season but recently hired Noelle Rooke as their new head coach. Rooke spent the previous eight seasons at Mercer University.

“I’m really excited. It’s going to be a different level of competition,” Baker said. “They have a new coach coming in from Georgia that they’re really looking forward to. She knows what she’s doing. It’s going to be a big step for me.”

Baker was featured in a June 12, 2012, article in the Galesburg Register-Mail.

Read the article online