IIAC MVP

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) announced that Luther’s Kelsie Allen (‘10) was selected as the IIAC Women’s Most Valuable Player for the 2009 season, while Luther head coach Brian Huinker has been selected as the 2009 Iowa Conference Women’s Coach of the Year. Both awards were voted on by the conference coaches following the Conference Championship.

Allen led the Norse to a league-record 24th Iowa Conference title. Also, the 2006 champion at No. 3 doubles with Amy Christenson (‘07), she captured the Flight A singles title at the Iowa Conference Women’s Tennis Individual Championships, needing third-set tiebreakers to win her quarterfinal, semifinal and championship matches.

Allen is the first Luther player since Maria Miller in 1999 to win the Conference’s top singles title or be named the Iowa Conference MVP. Allen and partner Brynne Zinnecker (‘11) also finished third in Flight A doubles at the 2009 Championships. Allen is the ninth Luther student-athlete to be named Iowa Conference MVP in women’s tennis, representing a total of 16 honors.

She posted an 11-2 overall singles record during the fall season with the only blemishes coming in a three-set loss to UW - LaCrosse’s Kelly Kuether in the Norse’s season opener and to Wheaton College (Ill.) All-American Elizabeth Worsowicz. She posted a 12-4 record in doubles with Zinnecker, competing primarily at the No. 1 position. The tandem was able to avenge two of those losses, defeating Coe’s Andrea Schupbach and Michelle Schupbach in the championship match of the Iowa Conference Women’s Tennis Team Championship and defeating Central’s Faith Bliss and Kayla Donner in the Flight A third-place match one week later.

Allen humbly attributes her success to her team.

“My coaches and my fellow teammates have pushed me to work hard in practice and outside of the season, and it has caused me to improve greatly,” Allen said. “My biggest goal I was working toward this year was to win team conference, so this award is just icing on the cake.”

Huinker guided Luther to a 14-2 mark during the fall season, including a 9-1 mark against Iowa Conference competition. The Norse posted a 5-0 semifinal win over Wartburg before upsetting top-seeded and three-time defending champion Coe 5-1 in the Championship final. This marks the first time Huinker has been named IIAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year. He has previously been honored as IIAC Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year on five occasions (2001, 2006-2009).

The Norse can now look forward to their spring season since their fall season has ended with success.

“We are looking forward to the spring,” Huinker said. “We have a lot of positives leading into a tough spring schedule and hopefully we keep improving and get to the national tournament again.”