Follow Tamara on Instagram: @tamotene
Awards & Honors
2021 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention
VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention
AVCA North All-Region First Team
Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year
All-MVC First Team
MVC All-Tournament Team
2022: Appeared in 98 sets, starting in 28 of 29 matches through the season … Finished third on the squad with 211 kills (2.15 kills per set) and 23 aces on the year … Top five on the team with 187 digs and 55 total blocks … Also added 14 assists on the season … Set career high of six block assists and season-high 17 kills in 3-1 victory over North Carolina (Oct. 28) … Averaged career best .571 hitting percentage in sweep of Wake Forest (Sept. 23) … Served up career high three aces in 3-1 triumph over NC State (Oct. 30) … Compiled season-best 12 digs in sweep of Notre Dame (Sept. 30) … Recorded double-digit kills in 10 matches, including nine in conference play … Earned three double doubles on the year, including 10 kills/12 digs in the Notre Dame sweep, 12 kills/10 digs in the NC State victory and 12 kills/10 digs once again at No. 7 Pitt … Totaled double-digit digs in four ACC matches.
2021 (Illinois State): Appeared in all 33 matches, covering all 126 sets in her breakout season for the Redbirds … earned the eighth AVCA All-America honor in Illinois State program history as a member of the Honorable Mention team … selected to the VolleyballMag.com All-America Honorable Mention Team … a AVCA All-Region (North Region) First Team selection … named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, becoming the first Redbird to earn the honor since 2014 … earned a spot on the All-MVC First Team … selected to the MVC All-Tournament Team after combining for 29 kills, 13 digs and seven block assists en route to ISU’s third-straight MVC Tournament Championship … a three-time MVC Player of the Week selection … named to the JMU Invitational and Red & White Invitational All-Tournament Teams … led conference action with 305 kills and a league-best 4.49 kills/set … was the only player in Valley play to average 5.00 points/set … tied the Illinois State sophomore record for kills in a single season with eight kills in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 6 Purdue (12/2), matching Redbird Hall of Famer Cathy Olson’s 494 kills … recorded a double-figure kills effort in 27 out of ISU’s 33 matches this season … had seven 20+ kills performances … led ISU in kills 22 times during the 2021 campaign … registered five double-double efforts … hit a clip of .400 or better five different times this season, including a career best of .444 against UNI (10/22) with 16 kills on 27 total attacks … tied for the eighth-most kills in a single match in Redbird Arena with 26 against Indiana State (11/6) … set two different Valley match highs, posting 26 kills against Indiana State (11/6) for a then-five-set best and nailing 27 against Loyola Chicago (11/13) for a four-set best in the league … registered a career-best 27 kills against Loyola Chicago (11/13) … finished the year with 66 total blocks, including 51 block assists and 15 block solos … contributed a lifetime-best seven blocks against Valparaiso (10/16) … tied for 12th all-time for block solos by a Redbird sophomore, finishing with 15 solos on the year for the second-most on the team … gathered 230 digs on the season, scooping up a career-high 17 digs at Valparaiso (11/12) … finished with 548.5 points, including 340 during conference play … tied for eighth all-time for points in a match at Redbird Arena, finishing with 27 points against Missouri State (10/1) and against Indiana State (11/6).
2020 (Illinois State): Appeared in five matches, covering 11 sets, as a true freshman … recorded 17 kills, turning in a season-high of eight against UNLV (4/14) in the NCAA Tournament opening round … contributed an assist against Southern Illinois (3/27) … registered a service ace in her ISU debut against Valparaiso (2/21) … scooped three digs … turned in a pair of blocks against UNLV (4/14) … Fall 2020 season moved to spring 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
High School: Four-sport athlete at Westlake Girls High School in Auckland, New Zealand, competing on her school’s volleyball, beach volleyball, badminton and netball teams … Ten-time all-tournament team honoree between her high school and club teams in the sport of volleyball … Named WGHS All-Around Sportsperson of the Year her senior year, after being named the All-Sportswomen of the Year her freshman and sophomore year … Earned her high school’s volleyball Player of the Year award her final two seasons at WGHS … Helped guide her team to three New Zealand Secondary School Championships … Member of New Zealand National Team with former Redbird, Stacey Niao … Competed in the Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship with the national team.
Personal: Major is undecided
