Student-Athlete Spotlight: Amanda Kiso Ranked 5th In The Nation

The NCAA Division III volleyball rankings released on Oct. 22 rank Westminster’s Amanda Kiso as 5th in the nation. She has spent the past four weeks in the top 20. A graduate of Blair Oaks High School (Jefferson City, MO) Amanda is a freshman at Westminster.

Kiso finished the week of October 14 with a .645 hitting percentage after the Blue Jays’ 3-0 sweeps of Fontbonne University and Eureka College. The .645 percentage moved her from 19th to 5th place, increasing her season’s average to a .403.

On top of ranking 5th in the nation, Kiso dominates the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference hitting percentage rankings. Sophomore Lexi Collier comes in behind Kiso with a .344 hitting percentage.

“Amanda has filled a tough role as she stepped in as a freshman starting against some quality opponents this season,” said Head Coach Curtis Madson. “I’m proud of the way she’s held her own and become one of the nation’s top middles.”

“Playing in college is a lot of work, practicing and playing many hours of the week.  It is not always easy to do, but it pushes me to be a balanced student and athlete,” says Amanda.

Why volleyball at Westminster?

“For me, deciding what college I wanted to attend was a fairly easy choice,” Amanda says. “When I pulled up to campus and saw the columns on my first visit, I got butterflies in my stomach and I knew that this was where I belonged. I picked Westminster because I fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere that it gave.  I did not always plan on playing volleyball in college, however, I got interested one day and decided to look into it.

From there I talked to Coach Madson about the volleyball program and what it would entail to be on the team.  It sounded like something I could manage and I continued to pursue it.  I am so happy I decided to continue playing volleyball because it has been part of my life for so long, and I do not know what I would have done if I gave it up.  My team and coach have become like a second family to me, and I enjoy every moment that I spend with them, whether on the court or on the way to an away game.”

Kiso has been playing volleyball since the fourth grade. She has not yet declared a major, but is considering a biology/psychology degree with the goal to become an occupational therapist.

Want to learn more about life as a NCAA DIII student-athlete at Westminster? Click here.