Jenelle Koester, age 31, is one of the professional beach volleyball players heading to Saipan to participate in the 17th Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Festival. 2009 marks her return to the longest-standing beach volleyball tournament in Micronesia.
An opposite hitter at the University of Connecticut with a degree in Human Development – Services and Counseling, Koester (6 foot tall) had one of the top matches in NCAA history when she recorded 18 kills with no errors in 21 attempts. She was named to three all-Big East teams, and in 1998 was also an AVCA all-district choice. She remained as the team's career leader in kills, and is in the top 10 in digs, blocks, aces and hitting percentage.
Koester, with Denise Johns, won the 2003 AVP Next National Championships, thereby earning berths in four main draws in 2004. Following her consistent finishes, she had to play in just one qualifying tournament after that point in 2005.
The 17th Marianas Cup Beach Volleyball Festival scheduled for 6-8 March 2009 at the PIC Volleyball Courts will include a Kids’ Clinic run by the pros on 5 March from 3-5pm and the Kids’ Marianas Cup on 14 March. The highly anticipated Exhibition Match among the US, Japan and Korean professionals is open to the public and will be held at PIC’s beach volleyball courts on Friday, 6 March 2009 starting at approximately 5pm.
The Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association (NMIVA) thanks all the sponsors for contributing to this worthwhile, international event. Sponsors include: Aon Insurance, Aqua Resort Club, Chong’s Corporation, Delta Management Corporation, Glooay Mai Thai Spa, Gregg Elliott Artworks, Hertz, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Island Apparel, IT&E, KSPN2, LISS, Marianas Eye Institute, Marianas Medical Center, Mariana Resort & Spa, Marianas Trekking, MVA, Microl Corporation, No Ka Oi, NWA, PDI, Pacific Eagle Enterprises, PIC Guam, PIC Saipan, PTC, Saipan Grand Hotel, Seafix Inc., Shell Marianas, Star Sands Plaza, Stars & Stripes, Law Offices of Stephen J. Nutting, Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, Topnotch, Traders Insurance, Triple J Wholesale, WDI Saipan (Tony Roma’s & Capricciosa’s).
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