Brandi and Shelby Kinard named Central Penn College co-athletes of the month

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Brandi Kinard has been named one of Central Penn College's co-Athletes of the Month.

SUMMERDALE, PA (10/16/2013)(readMedia)-- Central Penn College students Brandi (left) and Shelbi Kinard (right), of Seven Valleys, Pa., have been named co-athletes of the month. The Kinard twins are part of the Central Penn College Lady Knights volleyball team, coached by Jason Barshinger. They are both Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) majors, aspiring to become outpatient physical therapist assistants. They are also involved in the PTA club.

Outside of the academic realm, the Kinard twins have worked together with their teammates to dominate the volleyball court, game after game.

"While Brandi has experience playing before at Spring Grove High School and York College, Shelbi never played the game at this level and works hard to improve constantly," says Barshinger. "Both Brandi and Shelbi share a desire to pursue every attack on defense and their work effort is constantly appreciated. Brandi is currently fourth in the USCAA in service aces per set, while Shelbi is eighth. Brandi has been attacking the ball aggressively and is 14th in the nation in kills per set. Their focus and effort has been an integral part of us being ranked in the top 20 within our first season."

"I chose to play volleyball [at Central Penn] because I have been playing for eight years and did not want my career to end. Volleyball is a passion of mine that will continue even after the season has ended." says Brandi.

"I always enjoyed hitting a volleyball around in our back yard with my twin sister," says Shelbi. "Although I have never played on an actual team before, I learned a few things from Brandi. In high school, I enjoyed playing basketball with her and I thought that playing volleyball on the Central Penn team would give us another opportunity to play a sport together again."

Along with their passion and drive to play the sport, volleyball has also presented a few challenges for the young athletes.

"I knew there were going to be a few players that had years of experience and knew what they were doing and how everything worked," says Shelbi. "Since I was playing for the first time, I needed to catch up and learn everything quickly."

Brandi continues, "In the beginning, the hardest part was trying to figure out what positions every girl would play. I have been a setter my entire life and for Central Penn's team, I am now an outside hitter. That was definitely a huge challenge for me."

Despite the new challenges, both athletes have strived toward excellence and remain dedicated to not only their team members, but also their passions. Shelbi looks forward to forming new friendships with her team members, while Brandi looks forward to continuing her passion and watching her teammates grow together.

Central Penn College has been helping students turn potential into career success since 1881, now offering career-focused associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in a variety of fields. Degree programs are available in: accounting, business administration, criminal justice, information technology, communications, healthcare, homeland security, legal studies and organizational leadership. The college, currently serving students at its Harrisburg, Lancaster and Lehigh Valley locations, attributes its high rate of student success to a caring faculty and its hands-on learning approach. Based on Central Penn's most recent One-Year Graduate Survey, 87.8 percent of graduates were employed in their chosen field or continuing their education within one year of graduation. Central Penn College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. www.centralpenn.edu.