KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Washburn volleyball senior Faith Rottinghaus has been named one of five female student-athlete finalists for the MIAA's prestigious Ken B. Jones award. The finalists will be recognized at the 2022 MIAA Awards Celebration presented by Husch Blackwell on Monday, June 6 in the Music Hall at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo. The 2021-22 female and male Ken B. Jones winners will be announced during the event as well.

The libero from Berryton, Kan. closed out her volleyball career with her name etched all over Washburn's record books as she is the all-time career leader in digs with 2,676 and is second in digs per set at 5.49 digs/set. This past fall, she helped lead the Ichabods to a 31-6 record, an NCAA Central Region championship title, and the program's first-ever appearance NCAA National Championship match. Rottinghaus played in all 127 sets while leading the nation with 833 total digs and was third in Division II with 6.56 digs per set. On Sept. 25, she scooped up 51 digs in a 3-1 victory at then-ranked No. 7 Central Missouri, tying Washburn's single-match record and setting the program record for most digs in a four-set match. She had 24 matches with 20 or more digs and successfully received 394 service attempts that came her way, committing just eight errors for a .980 reception percentage. Additionally, she led the team with 33 service aces and tallied 88 assists.
 
She garnered many postseason accolades and was named an AVCA and D2CCA All-American second team selection and also earned her third-straight all-MIAA first team honors. She was voted to the all-tournament team in all five tournaments Washburn competed in during the fall, including the All-Central Region and All-National Tournament teams. Rottinghaus was voted the Ichabods' team MVP and also earned that honor her freshman season.
 
Rottinghaus excelled in the classroom as well and completed her bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, MIAA Scholar Athlete, and MIAA Academic Excellence lists all five years. At the NCAA National Tournament, she received the NCAA Elite 90 Award, becoming the first Washburn student-athlete and MIAA volleyball player to earn the prestigious honor. She was also named the CoSIDA Academic All-American Volleyball Team Member of the Year and received her third-consecutive Academic All-American first team honors. Rottinghaus will continue her education and begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Kansas University Medical Center at the end of this month.
 
Off the court, Rottinghaus was involved in Washburn's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as the Exercise Science and Rehab Club.

Reservations for the 2022 MIAA Awards Celebration can be made by completing the form, available here.

Below is a list of the 2021-22 Ken B. Jones finalists as well as more information on the Ken B. Jones award. To see a complete list of the award's past recipients, click here.
 
2021-22 Female Finalists
Ashlan Burton – Track & Field – Central Missouri
Taryn Kedzior – Soccer – Central Oklahoma
Whitney Randall – Basketball – Fort Hays State
Faith Rottinghaus – Volleyball – Washburn
Maddie Squiers – Volleyball – Nebraska Kearney
 
2021-22 Male Finalists
Alex Bevis – Soccer – Fort Hays State
Kizan David – Track & Field – Lincoln
Jace McDown – Football – Emporia State
Blake Freeman – Baseball – Northeastern State
Matt Malcom – Wrestling – Nebraska Kearney
 
About the Ken B. Jones Award:
The Ken B. Jones award is named after the MIAA's first full-time commissioner and recognizes the conference's top Female and Male Student-Athlete. Mr. Jones was appointed league commissioner in 1981 and the inaugural award, in his honor, began in the 1993-94 academic year.

Each institution may nominate one female and one male student-athlete. The nominees must have completed at least their junior season of athletics eligibility by June 1 of the academic year of nomination. A nominee must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average through the previous full semester term through February 1 of the academic year of nomination at the certifying member institution.

A 13-member committee comprised of one administrator from each MIAA institution and the conference office ranks each candidate based on excellence in three categories: Athletic Achievement in that academic year, Career Academic Achievements and Community/Campus Service during the Academic Year. The committee announces its five finalists 14 days before naming its winner at the annual MIAA Awards Celebration.