Jan. 10, 2007

COLUMBIA, Mo.--Just a month since her last match as a Missouri Tiger, volleyballer Jessica Vander Kooi is in Puerto Rico beginning her career in the country's professional leagues. With season-opening matches beginning last week in the top-level "Voleibol Superior Femenino", translated as the Puerto Rico Superior League, Vander Kooi will play until April as part of a 22-match schedule for her Mayaguez team.

 

Vander Kooi's squad is 1-1 to begin the season and has their next match at home on Thursday versus Aguadilla. Vander Kooi opened her professional career with a 12-kill, nine-dig performance against Carolina last Tuesday.

 

 

The league has hosted some of the biggest names in volleyball in the last several years including Nebraska's Nancy Metcalf, Jennifer Saleaumua, and Greichaly Cepero. UCLA's Nana Meriweather and USC's Debora Selihamer and Keao Burdine are currently on Vander Kooi's team.

 

The Puerto Rican league is the second-best league in the Americas and is comprised of 10 teams that house intense competition. The Mayaguez team is owned by Orlando Lugo.

 

Vander Kooi, a native of Hinton, Iowa, finished her career at Missouri as a two-time honorable mention All-American and three-time All-Big 12 first-team member. Vander Kooi started in each of the Tigers' 120 matches, leading the Tigers to a 82-38 record over the four-year span and to four NCAA Tournament appearances including a second-round run in 2006 and a run to the tournament's "elite-eight" round in 2005. In addition, Vander Kooi was voted to CoSIDA's Academic All-America team this season.

 

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