CLEARWATER, Fla. — Emma Kile was an unknown when she arrived at Clearwater (Fla.) Christian College.

Now she's getting national recognition.

Kile, a sophomore middle hitter for the Cougars women's volleyball team and a native of Butler, already has contributed to a pair of National Christian College Athletic Association Division II titles, including last fall when the team went 45-4 and defeated Lincoln Christian (Ill.) University in the finals 3-2.

Kile led NCCAA D-II with a blocking average of 1.42 per game. She also was eighth in kill average (3.68) and 10th in attacking percentage (35.77).

The effort earned her all-America honors and she received an award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

"Emma is very athletic, but is also a very hard worker and she was one of our go-to players last season," said Cougars coach Vickie Denny. "To be recognized by the AVCA, that's quite an honor."

But Denny knew little about Kile when the two first met.

"She was recruited by Point Park (University) coach Mike Bruno," said Denny. "But with her Christian background, we ended up being a better fit.

"(Bruno) told me Emma could be a very good player for us," Denny added. "But I had never seen her hit a ball until she stepped on campus. The first ball she hit, I thought, 'Hmmm, she's pretty good.'"

Kile was no stranger to success before arriving in Florida. She played for a dominating scholastic team at Calvary Academy in Jefferson Township.

But she still had a lot to learn as a college freshman.

"In high school, I learned the strategy of the game and to stay focused, but the college game is very intense and fast-paced," Kile said. "I had to get used to that."

She picked it up rather quickly, tallying 464 kills, 155 digs and 44 blocks in 2008, when the Cougars went 43-5 and won the national title.

"I was hoping to get some playing time as a freshman, help the team any way I could," Kile said. "I wasn't expecting to make the impact I did, but I was lucky."

For a program that now has won four straight national championships and nine in the past 15 years, there's no letting up with the Cougars.

"Our coach is intense," Kile said. "But she expects all the players to bring their own intensity into every game. You aren't glorifying God if you're not giving 100 percent."

Kile will be one of 10 players returning as the Cougars eye a fifth consecutive title in 2010.

"We're losing three seniors, but we have a lot coming back," Kile said. "We have high hopes for next season."

Denny, who has coached the Cougars for 21 seasons, has her own recipe for success:

"Getting kids like Emma Kile — we can build teams around that."