Eastern Illinois University Athletics

2012 ... OVC 'Freshman of the Year' ... OVC All-Newcomer Squad ... Oakland Invitational All-Tournament Team ... had a steller first season in a Panther uniform as she set new EIU freshman records for sets played (124) and hitting (.241), starting every match... registered five triple-doubles for kills/assists/digs, which is the most by a Panther during the OVC era and the most in an EIU single-season since 1986 ... also recorded four kill/assist duo-duos as she registered 15+ kills in six contests and five-or-more blocks three times ... finished second on the team in kills with 314 put-aways off a .241 attack ... registered 15+ points nine times as she finished third for total points with 362.0 ... drilled a season-high 17 kills, off 42 attacks, in a tough five-set home match against OVC champion Morehead State... dished out a season-best 27 assists as the Panthers stunned ACC foe Wake Forest at the Marquette Classic... finished with 267 assists ... twice secured 18 points, last coming versus EKU in a key Panther home win ... OVC Top 10:  Led the entire OVC with five triple-doubles... OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

HIGH SCHOOL ...  Saalfrank attended Heritage HS in Monroeville, Ind., while residing in nearby Hoagland... a multiple award winner during her prep career, as she earned All-Allen County Athletic Conference honors three times... also named Offensive 'Player of the Year', MVP, Impact 'Player of the Week' and named to the Homestead Invite All-Tourney squad... while also earning Academic All-Conference kudos under coaches Steve Walter and Jay Larhman... joined fellow classmate Marah Bradbury (also from Indiana) on the News-Sentinel All-Area Volleyball team in the fall of 2011... team-wise, Heritage were three-time Heritage Invite champs while capturing ACAC Tourney and Whitko Invite titles during her freshman campaign ... besides volleyball, was also a member of the basketball squad... earned membership to the National Honor Society and was tabbed with Academic All-Conference kudos during her senior year ... four-time Principal's List honoree.

PERSONAL ... Majoring in special education... daughter of Doug & Heidi Saalfrank... born on September 12... credits her mom for having the biggest influence on her sports career, "because she's been to every single one of my matches, sitting on the bleachers cheering me on" ... former member of the Fort Wayne volleyball club squad.

OFF THE COURT WITH ABBY ... 'Abs' or 'Babs' chose EIU "because I love the campus size and the quality education I would receive ... plus the players and coaches are the icing on the cake"... also enjoys watching baseball games... currently driving Pontiac Grand Prix... favorite foods include pizza and crab, yet she dislikes broccoli... she can't go anywhere without her cell phone... her best vacation memory was "het skiing in the ocean"... since coming to EIU she has learned "that cars actually do stop for pedestrians"... wishes she could bring her favorite home ice cream shop, the Whippy Dip, with her to Charleston... her advice to a younger volleyball player includes "even though things may not be going right or may seem too hard to achieve, always keep fighting for it... it will only make you better"... her favorite quote (via Vince Lombardi) is "the harder you work ... the harder it is to surrender."