A solid all-around outside hitter, Heather Luben is the only player in school history to record more than 400 kills and 400 digs in a season. Luben accomplished the feat in 1996 and, while her 468 kills now rank second in school history, her 448 digs are still a single-season school record.
Luben finished her impressive YSU career (1993-96) with 1,020 kills on 2,853 total attacks for a .175 hitting percentage. She had 1,156 digs, 86 service aces, 64 assists, 70 block assists and 26 solo blocks. When she finished her YSU career, she ranked second in kills and fourth in digs in school history. Luben still ranks as one of only four players with more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. Her 3.49 digs per game rank second in YSU history while here 3.08 kills per game average is sixth.
Her senior campaign in 1996 was one for the YSU record books. She established new school records for kills with 468 and digs with 448. A first-team All-East Division Mid-Continent Conference selection, she had 1,247 total attacks, 35 service aces, 46 block assists, 11 solo blocks and 22 assists. She averaged 4.07 kills per set, which was a school record for a single-season and still ranks third. Also, her 1,247 attempts were a school record and currently is second.
Luben had at least 10 kills in 25 matches and had double figures in digs 22 times. In a four-set match versus Akron she had 26 kills and 40 digs. In a five-setter versus Central Connecticut State she finished with 27 kills and 27 digs. She followed that with a 24-kill, 23-dig outing against Saint Francis (Pa.). Luben had a dominating performance in a three-set win over Wagner finishing with 27 kills. In her final collegiate match, she had 22 kills and 13 digs against Buffalo.
As a junior 1995, Luben’s year was cut short because of injury, and she appeared in just 57 sets. She had 162 kills in 438 total attempts for a .210 hitting percentage. She had 241 digs, 20 service aces and 11 assists. She pounded a season-high 15 kills versus Canisius and had a season-best 22 digs against Saint Francis (Pa.). For her efforts at the Mid-Con Tournament she was selected to the all-tournament squad and also helped the Guins to the East Division title.
In 1994, Luben had 272 kills in 822 total attempts as she appeared in 95 sets. She posted 303 digs, 21 service aces and 15 set assists. She finished with a season-best 16 kills against Niagara and had a season-high 18 digs against Pittsburgh. During the season she was named to the all-tournament team at the Bucknell Days Inn Invitational.
Luben had a solid freshman season in 1993. Playing in 64 sets, she had 118 kills in 346 total attempts. She recorded 168 digs, 18 service aces and 16 assists. She had a career-high 21 digs to go along with 11 kills against UIC. She pounded a season-best 20 kills and had 14 digs against Buffalo.
Luben spent the 1997 season as a fifth-year assistant for Head Coach Joe Conroy and assistant Andrea Jackson. She graduated from YSU with a degree in Nursing.
Prior to coming to YSU, Luben was a standout at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne, Ind. She was a four-year letterwinner who was named the team’s MVP her senior season.
She is a registered nurse in the University of Michigan Health Systems where she currently works in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
Heather Stoll and her husband, David, reside in Brighton, Mich., with their two children Mitchell and Hunter.
