Honors and Awards<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>
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Second-Team All-Big 12 Conference (2000, 2001)
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Big 12 Conference All-Tournament Team (2001)
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First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Conference (2001)
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Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll (Fall 1999, Spring 2000, Fall 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2003)
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Gatorade Circle of Champions National High School Player-of-the-Year Finalist (1999)
2002 Season
Kori Saunders had one of her most productive seasons as a Husker, contributing 22 points on nine goals and four assists in 2002.
She helped boost the NU offense in the NCAA Tournament, assisting Christine Latham on the game-winning goal and adding a goal of her own against Hartford in the first round.
Saunders helped pace Nebraska to four consecutive shutouts Oct. 11-20. The Overland Park, Kan., native scored the final two goals of the game against Baylor to help NU extend the streak.
She scored two game-winning goals (Missouri, Memphis) in her senior season. She started 24 games for the Huskers and put in valuable minutes at the forward and midfield positions.
Saunders finished eighth on Nebraska's all-time scoring list with 74 career points, and her 27 career goals ranked seventh in NU history.
2001 Season
A physical force for the Huskers, Saunders ranked third on the team with 21 points on eight goals and five assists, and was named second-team all-Big 12 Conference. She recorded her first career hat trick with a three-goal performance at then-No. 10 Texas A&M, and then added a two-goal effort at USC.
She was also honored as a member of the Big 12 All-Tournament Team for her outstanding play in the conference tourney.
Saunders scored single goals against Northern Iowa, Missouri and added a goal against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Tournament. Three of her assists in 2001 were game winners (against Baylor, OSU and Boston College). She also recorded an assist against ISU.
The Overland Park, Kan., native ranks 12th in Nebraska history with 52 career points. Her 18 career goals rank 10th on NU's all-time chart.
2000 Season
Despite being cut severely when she fell through a glass table in early August, Saunders returned in midseason to add a significant physical presence in the Husker midfield, recording two goals and six assists en route to earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. After missing Nebraska's first 10 games, Saunders returned against Missouri on Sept. 29. The sophomore notched two goals in a 6-1 win over Oklahoma State on Oct. 13.
Saunders was rushed to BryanLGH Medical Center by ambulance on Aug. 10, after a glass and wood table that she was sitting on collapsed while she and several other soccer players were playing video games in her apartment.
An eight-inch shard of glass penetrated Saunders' back and entered a space surrounding her right kidney. The piece of glass, which Saunders removed herself, slit her ureter. The glass also chipped a vertebrae, but missed several vital structures on its entry into her back.
1999 Season
Saunders ranked seventh among the Huskers with 21 points and fifth on the team with eight goals to go along with her five assists. She appeared in all 25 games, including four starts in place of an injured Amy Walsh. Saunders scored her biggest goal with the first tally against No. 22 Stanford to help the Huskers to a 2-1 win.
Saunders scored her first career goal in NU's win over No. 12 Connecticut, and added her first assist in a 3-2 win over No. 19 Portland. Saunders produced the first two-goal performance of her career against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament. She added a goal against No. 22 Baylor in the tournament semifinals to cap a streak of four straight games with at least one goal. She had a two-assist effort against Colorado.
A solid student, Saunders claimed a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.
High School
Saunders was one of eight finalists for Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player-of-the-Year honors and was listed as one of Soccer America's Top 25 recruits in the nation. She was the 1998 and 1999 Missouri Player of the Year and the Kansas City Metro Area Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998. Saunders was a three-time first-team all-stater at St. Teresa?s Academy in Kansas City, Mo. She led St. Teresa's to state runner-up finishes in both 1998 and 1999.
She holds the Missouri high school record with a remarkable 281 points on 111 goals and 59 assists. She scored 104 points on 42 goals and 20 assists as a junior, but had to settle for 67 points on 23 goals and 21 assists as a senior. As a sophomore, Saunders helped St. Teresa's to a third-place finish in the state, scoring 98 points on 40 goals and 18 assists for Coach Chris Lawson. She also earned first-team all-state and all-metro honors from the Kansas City Star all three seasons.
In addition to her soccer honors, Saunders was a first-team All-Metro softball player in 1998 and earned three letters as the No. 1 singles player on St. Teresa's tennis team. She also played basketball for one season and wrote for the school newspaper. She was a member of her school's SADD club and volunteered at St. Luke's Hospital.
Other Information
In addition to her high school experience, Saunders was a member of the state and regional Olympic Development Program team. She also played club soccer under Coach Doug McGlagan for Alliance United. Alliance United won the State Cup title in 1998 and 1999.
Personal Information
Saunders is the daughter of Al and Karen Saunders. Al is an assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. Kori has two brothers, Bobby, 24, and Joey, 21. Kori is an English major. She was born June 18, 1981, in Walnut Creek, Calif.