A four-year standout for the Shawnee State volleyball program who played in 106 career matches, accumulated 1,342 career digs, finished her career as the Shawnee State volleyball program's all-time leader in service reception percentage at .962 and did all of that while maintaining a GPA north of 3.9 while battling injuries at different stretches during her career, senior defensive specialist Ava Jenkins was deservedly named to the River States Conference's Champions of Character Team, as announced by conference officials Tuesday afternoon.

Jenkins, who posted 1,241 career digs and 530 kills during her four-year career at nearby Northwest High School, joined forces with fellow Northwest graduate and Class of 2022 member Reagan Lewis in playing under Devan Spriggs -- herself a 2011 alum out of Northwest.

Throughout her career, Jenkins showcased the durability and mental toughness that made No. 22 a reliable defensive presence throughout her four seasons with the Bears, as Jenkins tallied the above statistics while helping Shawnee State go 66-52 in her four seasons in the Blue and White. Jenkins also overcame an injury that forced her to miss the final 10 matches of her sophomore season to reassume a primary role on the backline over her final two seasons of play.

While doing that, Jenkins has continued to stand out through her four seasons in the classroom -- as Jenkins holds a 3.94 GPA as an integrated science AYA 7-12 major. She's earned 120 hours of academic credit.

For more information on the Shawnee State volleyball program, visit https://ssubears.com/sports/womens-volleyball, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057197839907 or https://www.instagram.com/ssuvb/. To watch the match online, visit https://www.youtube.com/@ssubearsathletics.