When Kori Schauer hits a volleyball, crowds at Chick Evans Field House erupt with uncontrolled awe. She sends the ball rocketing towards the floor at helpless defenders unlucky enough to be in the way.

The senior out of Belvidere will then wind up for another bullet and deftly poke the ball over the block into an open spot. The crowd roars its approval.

That’s the way it has been going this season for the 6-foot-4-inch middle blocker. She has already racked up all-tournament honors in the Huskie Invitational and the California Santa-Barbara Classic. Add in the Mid-Con Player of the Week honors she received last week, and Kori Schauer has already put together one heck of a season.

“She’s playing the best volleyball of her career,” said NIU head coach Pete Waite. “In (California) she really helped our team pull together and win the Santa Clara match. She came forward and was a real leader on the court for us.”

And coming forward in a big way, too. She’s ranked nationally in kills per game and blocks per game and her numbers keep getting better after every match.

“She’s turning into one of the top hitters in the country,” Waite said. “She’s ranking up there with the best of them and proved herself against some great teams over the weekend.”

Schauer adds this year’s accomplishments to an already impressive list of awards. Last season saw her pick up First-Team-All-Mid-Continent and all-tourney honors in the league volleyball championships and was named to the all-tournament team in the Cal State Northridge invitational. To top all that off, she was invited to participate in the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival.

She came to Northern in 1989 with little club experience and a lot of potential. It was this potential that Waite saw to make her his first recruit when he took over the head coaching duties at NIU. He hasn’t regretted it.

Playing only one year of club ball and only three on the varsity level at Belvidere High School, Schauer has fulfilled the promise Waite saw in her all those years ago.

After suffering an ankle injury last year, Schauer split time with defensive specialist Amy Vander Meer. This year, Schauer has worked hard to make her way back to a complete player.

As for the destined NCAA bid that NIU is expected to take this year, Schauer doesn’t see a problem in the team repeating the perfect 16-0 conference record they posted last season.

“Physically we have it,” she said. “We have the talent and the skills to win; we just have to be mentally prepared.”

The way she’s been playing, the Mid-Con is probably just as terrified as the other helpless victims that have been in the path of her spikes.