Eveland

Former Yellow Jacket volleyball star Kele Eveland's No. 16 jersey was retired in a ceremony preceding the Jackets' season opener Sept. 16. She is the first Georgia Tech female to have her jersey retired and the ninth Yellow Jacket in any sport to be so honored.

"Kele deserves this tremendous honor very much," head coach Bond Shymansky said. "I can't tell you how much she has meant to Georgia Tech volleyball. From the first day she set foot on campus, she worked very hard to become the best on the court and in the classroom. She is the most competitive athlete I've ever coached."

The three-time All-ACC player led Tech to a 111-26 record over four years, including four NCAA tournament appearances, two ACC regular season championships and an ACC tournament title. Her 6,464 career assists are a Georgia Tech record and fourth best in NCAA history.

In 2003, the ACC Player of the Year led the nation in assists per game and directed an offense that finished first in the nation in kills and assists en route to a 34-4 record and the elite eight round of the NCAA tournament. The American Volleyball Coaches Association named her a first-team All-American.

Eveland, Mgt 04, was also an academic All-American who graduated with highest honor. Graduation is a requirement before a Georgia Tech jersey can be retired.

Basketball players Roger Kaiser, Rich Yunkus, Mark Price, John Salley, Tom Hammonds and Matt Harpring, former baseball coach Jim Luck and All-American catcher Jason Varitek have also had their numbers retired.