Kailey Klein Named Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year
    Klein and Garland Selected to Preseason All-League First Team
    Shawnita Garland joined Kailey Klein on the preseason all-league first team.

    Shawnita Garland joined Kailey Klein on the preseason all-league first team.

    Oct. 28, 2009

     

    Contact: Greg Murphy

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    INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Cleveland State senior guard Kailey Klein, the leading returning scorer in the Horizon League, has been named the 2009-10 Horizon League Preseason Player of the Year in voting of the 10 league head coaches, sports information directors and select media. Klein was also named to the five player Preseason All-Horizon League first team for the third straight year.

    In addition, junior guard Shawnita Garland joined Klein on the first team, giving the Vikings two preseason first team picks.

    Joining Klein and Garland on the all-league first team were UIC's Jessie Miller, Green Bay's Celeste Hoewisch and Butler's Susan Lester.

    "This is a very deserving honor for both Kailey and Shawnita that each have earned through hard work and dedication," head coach Kate Peterson Abiad said. "There are not many players who are going to outwork either Kailey or Shawnita and that has allowed them to become two of the top players in the league.

     

     

    Klein, the lone returning player from last year's All-Horizon League first team, was last year's Horizon League Co-Player of the Year after finishing second in the league in scoring (16.9). A two-time first team All-Horizon League pick, Klein enters her senior year ranked fourth on the all-time scoring list at CSU with 1,514 points, just 338 shy of breaking the school record and 486 short of becoming the third player in league history to score 2,000 career points.

    Klein received 258 points in the voting, including 25 of the 31 Player of the Year votes. She was among the Horizon League's leaders in scoring, free-throw percentage (3rd, .810), assists (T-6th, 3.1) and three-point accuracy (10th, .362) last season.

    Garland, last year's Horizon League Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the all-league second team, enjoyed a breakout season in which she finished second in the league in steals (2.8), sixth in scoring (12.4) and seventh in field goal percentage (.517).

    The all-league second team consists of Wright State's LaShawna Thomas, Valparaiso's Lauren Kenney, Green Bay's Kayla Tetschlag, Butler's Brittany Bowen and UIC's Jasmine Bailey.

    The Vikings will open their season on Friday, Nov. 6, when CSU hosts Case Western Reserve at 7:00 p.m. for an exhibition contest.

    Tickets for the 2009-10 season are now on sale by calling 216-687-5440.