INDIANAPOLIS – Cleveland State’s Kara Koch and Loyola’s Peter McKeown have been named the Horizon League Scholar-Athletes of the Month for the month of November.

Koch, a volleyball player for Cleveland State, was named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 7 and then named CVU.com National Player of the Week on Nov. 8. She averaged 5.33 kills per set and 3.46 digs per set through six matches in November while recording a double-double in five of the six matches. Koch led the Vikings to a 5-1 record, with the only loss coming in the championship match of the Horizon League Tournament. The junior set a CSU match record with 35 kills against UIC (11/4) and recorded her 1,000th career kill against Valparaiso on Nov. 5. During the Horizon League Tournament, she set a match record with 34 kills against Butler and was named to the All-Horizon League Team and to the All-Tournament Team.

Off the field, Koch is an accounting major at Cleveland State. The West Salem, Ohio native maintains a 3.73 GPA in her coursework and was named the CSU Academic Excellence Award Winner in 2009 and 2010.

McKeown, a soccer player at Loyola, was named the MVP of the Horizon League Championship as Loyola earned its third NCAA Tournament berth in the last six years by winning the Horizon League Championship. He was voted to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week on Nov. 14. The goalkeeper recorded four shutouts in five matches in November, posting a 3-1-1 record, a sparkling 0.38 goals-against average and 24 saves. The senior, a Woodbury, Minn. native, also tallied nine saves versus Bradley in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in the NCAA Tournament First Round action.

The communications major is a member of the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll and he helped Loyola earn a NSCAA Team Academic Award by maintaining a 3.77 GPA. McKeown also started an open mic on campus for students gifted in poetry, music and comedy to express their talents.                                                                       

The Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Month recognizes outstanding academic and athletic achievements. To be eligible for the honor, the student-athlete must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20 or better (on a 4.00 scale), have completed at least one year at the member institution, passed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours and perform well during the month’s competition. Winners are selected by the League’s faculty athletics representatives, from nominations provided by sports information directors.

Tags: Cleveland State - Volleyball · Loyola - Men's Soccer