2012 ... Preseason All-OVC ... started every match and saw action in all 124 sets as a senior ... Paced the Panthers for aces (37), block solos (22), total blocks (110), and points (394.0) ... tied or reset nearly every career single-match mark, including nailing 17 kills in home finale versus Belmont and hit a blistering .647 with just one miscue in a sweep of Murray State... tallied a personal best point total with 21.5 in a crucial road win at JSU ... in career numbers, she registered 15+ kills five times, five-or-more blocks in 21 matches and secured 15+ points in 22 contests ... EIU Top Ten: Finishes her Panther career with 45 solo and 263 assisted blocks to rank 6th, while her 81 aces sits at 9th place, all during the OVC-era... her 308 total blocks ties for 5th since the 1996 (OVC start) season... while her 263 assisted roofs rank 8th for the entire NCAA DI Panther era... OVC Top Ten: Led the league aces-per-set (0.39) in OVC-only matches, while also ranked 9th (0.30) for the entire season... OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
2011 ... Played and started in nearly ever contest where she hit .241 on the season... led all playes at the net with 91 total blocks, including 83 assisted stuffs... registered five or more blocks six times over the course of the year to up her career mark to 13... nailed a season-high .455 attack in the season-finale as the Panthers dispatched UTM... recorded 15 or more points in eight matches... twice fired off 15 kills to set new career highs... while her 18.0 points at Murray State also set a new all-time high for the junior... OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
2010 ... Competed in all 31 matches of the season... recorded a .199 attack on the year... set new personal bests in nearly every stat category, including 13 kills off 31 attacks versus TTU... notched a season-best .615 clip against New Hampshire as the Panthers captured runner-up honors at the Harvard Invitational... owning a deceptive lethal serve, Aly recorded 27 total aces, which was second-highest on the squad... that included a personal high five unreturnable serves in Eastern's key four-set win over Murray State ... OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll.
2009 ...
Saw limited action in the middle spot, playing in ten contests as a true freshman... nailed a season-high eight kills, off a .214 attack, in the Panthers’ sweep of Chicago State... also upped five digs in the same Cougar contest... downed eight assisted blocks in EIU’s key road win over SIUE... OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
HIGH SCHOOL ... Four-year member of the varsity volleyball squad at O’Fallon Township High School... also played two years on the JV basketball team and one season in varsity track in 2006... coaches of note were Erin Legenore and Lynn Weidenbenner... earned O’Fallon Progress ‘Athlete of the Week’ her senior season... also named to the Granite City all-tournament squad... named First Team All-Southwestern Conference and ‘Offensive Player of the Year’... member of the National Honor Society, while also earning the Scholastic Achievement Award... played club ball for the Southwest Illinois squad, which took third place honors twice at the national tournament.
PERSONAL ... No. 1 sports highlight was “earning a bid to nationals in club ball at the Minneapolis qualifier, where we placed second”... coach she admires is her former SWI club coach Kari Lane “because she really knew how to push me to levels I had never been to... plus I learned all the defense I know from her, when previously I couldn’t pass the ball for a million bucks”... her uncle, Kevin McKenna, was a former member of the Creighton basketball squad and also played professionally for the lakers, Pacers, Bullets and Nets.
OFF THE COURT WITH ALISON ...
Major at EIU ... Business management
Daughter of ... Mark & Terese Berens
Born on ... June 29
If I could bring anything from my hometown to Eastern ... all of my friends
Since coming to EIU I have learned ... that there are no paper towels in the bathrooms
Chose EIU ... because it isn’t too far from home, plus I love the campus... and the coaches and team are super nice
Favorite musical artists ... Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga ... I like a wide range of music
Other sports I enjoy ... tennis
Favorite foods ... I like anything, especially watermelon when it’s in season
Least favorite foods ... fat
A hidden talent ... I can play the harmonica
Former EIU athlete I enjoy watching perform ... Tony Romo
Favorite quote (my mom) ... “Be nice to everyone and smile big”
Currently driving ... 2002 Dodge Intrepid
Advice to a younger athlete ... when your legs are shaking and feel like jello, just think how nice they'll look later
Favorite TV Show and Movie ... The Office and Pride and Prejudice, respectively
