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Cougars Take Home Honor After Great Year In The Classroom
HOUSTON – The University of Houston volleyball team was recognized for its outstanding year in the classroom by being named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award winner for the 2010-11 academic year.
The award, which was initiated during the1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale.
More than 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program’s 19-year history, with exactly 4,294 awards being given out total.
The Cougar volleyball team posted a 3.26 GPA following the fall semester, the highest in the UH athletics program. Eightstudent-athletes added to the team’s academic success by being named to the Dean’s List.
The volleyball team improved on their fall GPA to post a 3.37 during the spring semester. It was the highest departmental GPA and the highest in program history. Nine student-athletes were also named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and five were named C-USA Academic Medal recipients.
With back-to-back program-best GPAs, the Houston volleyball team posted a cumulative 3.32 GPA during the 2010-11 school year.
Duke Volleyball Receives AVCA Academic Award for Fifth Straight Year
July 21, 2011
DURHAM, N.C. – For the fifth straight year, the Duke volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for maintaining a team grade point average of at least 3.30 for the entire 2010-11 academic year.
The Blue Devils have earned the academic recognition every year since 2006-07 and seven times over the past eight seasons. This award caps a remarkable 2010 campaign in which the Blue Devils won the ACC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Round of Eight and the Regional Final.
Duke’s academic success last season was a team effort, as every member of the team will appear on the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the second straight year. That list honors all ACC student-athletes who maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 for the entire academic year. All 15 members of the 2009-10 team appeared on that list last season, and all 12 Blue Devils will make the 2010-11 team when that list comes out in August.
Duke’s 2010 roster featured the ACC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year Sophia Dunworth and five other All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team selections, including Christiana Gray who appeared on the Academic All-District III Team alongside Dunworth. Additionally, senior Claire Smalzer wrapped up her career as a four-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll.
First instituted in 1992, the AVCA Team Academic Award goes to collegiate and high school volleyball programs that maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.30 for the academic year. Duke also received the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years.
Duke was one of 92 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball programs to receive the honor this season and one of an AVCA-record 478 teams overall. The 478 awards were the most in the 18-year history of the AVCA Team Academic Award.
U. Miami Volleyball News: Miami Volleyball Honored with AVCA Academic Team Award
Miami Volleyball Honored with AVCA Academic Team Award
Hurricanes honored in consecutive years for academic excellence.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second consecutive year, the University of Miami volleyball team was chosen to receive the 2010-11 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team Award, as announced by the AVCA office on Wednesday.
UMiami was one of just 18 institutions to reach the 2010 NCAA Tournament and be honored in receiving this year’s AVCA Academic Team Award. Additionally, Miami joins Duke and NC State as the only three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools on this year’s list.
The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.
In reaching the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years (2009, 2010), the Canes once again had a solid showing in the classroom as well as on the court. Redshirt junior Katie Gallagher and freshman Alexandria Johnson were each named to the 2010 ACC All-Academic Volleyball Team with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
For the Hurricanes, seven student-athletes carried at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average for the 2010-11 campaign, including freshman Mariel Schofield with a 4.0. Sophomore Nrithya Sundararaman ended the year with a 3.8 GPA and classmate Lizzie Hale achieved a mark of 3.9.
“A hearty congratulations to all the volleyball coaches whose teams won the 2011 AVCA Team Academic Award,” said AVCA Executive Director, Kathy DeBoer. “Teams do not succeed in the classroom by accident any more so than they do on the court. The same coach who taught them volleyball skills cared enough about their academic achievement to gather their grades, calculate their GPA, and submit a nomination on their behalf. In doing so, these coaches sent a clear message that classroom success is just as important as court success. All involved should celebrate this award!”
The Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA’s fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but one, while amassing an overall 170 percent increase over the span of the decade. Since the award’s inception in 1993, the award has risen by an astounding 674 percent. NCAA Division II recorded their highest-ever total number of recipients, honoring 57 programs while Division III easily surpassed last year’s record of 75 winners with 88 this year. The high school division also set a new record with its 192 recipients.
Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 19-year history, with exactly 4,294 awards been given out in total.
The AVCA announced that 478 teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2010-2011 season. This number once again breaks the previous years’ total of 450 and sets a new all-time high for this award.
BREAKDOWN BY CLASSIFICATION
Division Number of recipients Percent Breakdown*
NCAA Division I Women 92 19.25%
NCAA Division II Women 57 11.92%
NCAA Division III Women 88 18.41%
NAIA Women 30 6.28%
Two-Year College Women 12 2.51%
NCCAA Women 2 0.42%
NCAA Collegiate Men 4 0.84%
NAIA Men 1 0.21%
High School (Girls and Boys) 192 40.17%
High School Girls 176
High School Boys 16
* Percentage is based on each category’s breakdown of the total 2010-2011 Team Academic recipients.
You can find this year’s list of recipients on our website by clicking here, then scrolling down.
For more information on the University of Miami volleyball team, please log on to HurricaneSports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes volleyball program.
The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International. The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball; with a membership of over 5,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world. Further information is available at www.avca.org.
Blazer Volleyball Picks Up AVCA Team Academic Award UAB in top 30 percent of all Division I programs in team GPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 21, 2011)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team’s strong year in the classroom was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday when the organization announced its list of Team Academic Award winners for 2010-11.
The awards go to programs that finish the academic year with a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.30. A total of 92 NCAA Division I programs, 28 percent of all teams at college volleyball’s highest level, accomplished that feat this past year.
UAB was one of six C-USA teams to pick up the award, joining Rice, UCF, Houston, Memphis and Southern Miss.
The AVCA recognizes programs across all levels of men’s and women’s volleyball in both college and high school. This year, a record 478 programs nationwide earned a Team Academic Award.
Players throughout UAB’s roster found success in the classroom last year.
The Blazers placed 10 players, more than two-thirds of the roster, on the most recent Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 or better. Daniela Cavallo, Rachel Fairbanks, Kirsten Gallagher, Becca Howard, Sam Serley, Ally Slaughter, Thais Soares, Heather Thomas, Michelle Uzoh and Alison Woods each earned that honor last year.
Cavallo and Serley also received the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for posting GPAs of 3.75 or higher, while Serley was recognized for her accomplishments on and off the court with a spot of the league’s All-Academic Team.
Three Women's Volleyball Players Earn MWC Scholar Athlete Awards
PROVO, Utah (June 28, 2011)—The Mountain West Conference named three BYU women’s volleyball players to the 2011 Scholar Athlete Award list Tuesday for their significant academic achievements.
Players who received the accolades earned a 3.5 grade point average or higher, attended class for two semesters and participated in an NCAA-sanctioned sport at the varsity level.
Middle blocker Kimberli Boswell, a junior from Aloha, Ore., earned a 3.66 GPA in chemistry teaching. She contributed 10 kills and eight blocks.
Junior Nicole Warner, a native of Rigby, Idaho, earned a 3.69 GPA in exercise science. Warner led the Cougars with 162 blocks and 205 kills in 2010, also playing middle blocker.
Jennifer Hamson, a product of Pleasant Grove, Utah, received a 3.63 GPA in her first year at BYU. As a right side hitter, Hamson had 246 kills and 29 service aces.
Dayton Volleyball Player Becky Novacek Awarded A-10 Postgrad Scholarship
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade announced today the recipients of the A-10 Postgraduate Scholarships which included University of Dayton volleyball’s Becky Novacek. This year’s recipients also include Saint Louis’ Hailee Elmore, Xavier’s Thomas Kauffman, and Duquesne’s Samantha Pollino. Each recipient will receive $5,000 to contribute to their graduate education. All four student-athletes have performed with distinction both in the classroom and in their respective sports throughout their career, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community. Novacek is a two-time, first-team Atlantic 10 All-Conference honoree in leading the University of Dayton to the league championship in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The middle blocker guided the Flyers to the NCAA Tournament in each of her four years at Dayton advancing to the Second Round in three of those four years (2007, 2009, 2010). She was nominated for the Volleyball Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, named to the A-10 All-Tournament Team and received AVCA Division I All-Region Honorable Mention accolades all during her senior campaign in 2010. Novacek finished her senior season ranked in the top 50 nationally in blocks per set, while ranking in the top 100 nationally for hitting percentage in 2009 and 2010. She would finish her Flyer career with a .310 hitting percentage and 300 total blocks. In the classroom, Novacek has accumulated an overall grade point average of 3.863 while double majoring in accounting and finance. The Aliquippa, Pa., native is an eight-time member of the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll. She was named the A-10 Student-Athlete of the Year in 2010, while earning a spot on the A-10 Academic All-Conference Team and District IV ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. Novacek also was honored with the Team Academic Award by the AVCA in 2007, 2008 and 2009. A member of Beta Alpha Psi and Beta Gamma Sigma, Novacek has performed over 75 hours of community service during her tenure at Dayton.
Novacek is the sixth University of Dayton student-athlete to earn an Atlantic 10 Conference Post-Graduate scholarship. Half of those six student-athletes from UD have been volleyball players.
The Atlantic 10 Conference annually honors student-athletes who excel in academics and athletics and are involved in extra-curricular activities. The recipients of the A-10 Postgraduate Scholarships are required to use their scholarship toward postgraduate education expenses. Novacek will use the scholarship towards a MBA in Accountancy at UD.
Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholars from Dayton Rob Alteneau, Men's Tennis, 2005 Carla Muntz, Volleyball, 2001 Becky Novacek, Volleyball, 2011 Kelly Pohlman, Track, 2006 Erin Treadway, Volleyball, 2004 Patrick Wirtz, Men's Soccer, 2001
Lady Vol Volleyball Player Nikki Fowler Awarded NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Although her collegiate volleyball career has come to an end, former University of Tennessee standout Nikki Fowler’s academic career continues to take off as she has been awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
The awards valued at $7,500 have been granted by the NCAA to 29 male and 29 female student-athletes who participated in football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, equestrian, field hockey, volleyball and water polo.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The chosen student-athletes demonstrated dedication and effort, while performing both on and off the field at a high level, bringing credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics.
“I could not be more proud of Nikki for what she has accomplished over the last four years here at Tennessee, both on the volleyball court and in the classroom,” UT Head Coach Rob Patrick said. “We constantly stress the importance of academics with our team and Nikki has taken that to heart. Her work ethic and the example that she provides has set the bar extremely high for others to strive for within our program.
“She has been the consummate student-athlete and I am extremely excited that she has been awarded this scholarship. I am confident that she will be highly successful in whatever career she chooses to pursue.”
Set to graduate in May with a degree in marketing and a minor in international business, Fowler currently sports a 3.8 GPA and became just the second Lady Vol volleyball player in school history to be named a Capital One/CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American this fall. The Dallas, Texas, native was also tabbed the 2010 SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Fowler is the fourth Lady Vol to be awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in the last two years, as softball’s Lillian Hammond and Tiffany Huff and track and field’s Phoebe Wright did so in 2010. No other Southeastern Conference school has had more than two women’s athletes earn the same scholarship during that time frame.
A three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American and All-SEC First Team selection on the court, Fowler is the most decorated volleyball player in Lady Vol history. Her name can be found all over the Tennessee record book as she finished her time as a Lady Vol ranked in the top 10 in seven career categories. A native of Dallas, Texas, she stands first all-time in total attacks (4,426), third in attacks per set (9.54), fourth in kills (1,649), sixth in kills per set (3.55), sixth in digs (1,281), seventh in digs per set (2.76) and eighth in blocks (344).
Over the course of her four-year career at Rocky Top, Fowler notched a double-double in 41.9 percent of her collegiate contests, accomplishing the feat 52 times in 124 career matches. In 2010, she led the Lady Vols with 393 kills (3.51/set) and 938 attacks (8.38/set), ranked second with 324 digs (2.89/set), third with a career-best .306 hitting percentage and fifth with 61 blocks (0.54/set).
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. An equitable approach is employed in reviewing each applicant's nomination form to provide opportunity to all student-athlete nominees to receive the postgraduate award, regardless of sport, division, gender or race. In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through postgraduate study in an accredited graduate degree program.
Virginia's AJ Cushman Named to All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team
Senior libero earns award for second-straight year GREENSBORO, N.C . – Senior libero AJ Cushman has been named to the All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team for the second-consecutive season. Cushman wrapped up her career as one of Virginia's all-time best defenders. The kinesiology major from Richmond, Va., Cushman earned 1,432 digs in her four seasons to finish fourth in UVa's record book for career digs. She also tallied 543 digs this year to rank fourth in the program's single-season records and finished the year second in the ACC, with an average of 4.89 digs per set. The libero recorded 28 double-digit dig performances this season, marking all but two matches, and registered her first career 30-dig match at Temple. For her play this year, Cushman was named to the VaSID All-State First Team following the conclusion of the season. To be eligible for consideration for the All-ACC Academic Team, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.0 cumulative average during her academic career. 2010 All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team Name Yr. Pos. School Major Kristen Baader@ Sr. L/OH Boston College Biology Tsvetelina Dureva Jr. OH Boston College Communication Natalie Patzin@ So. OH Clemson Biological Engineering Alexa Rand So. MH Clemson Special Education Becci Burling^ Sr. MB Duke Psychology/Biological Anthropology Sophia Dunworth!# Jr. MB/OH Duke Biology Christiana Gray@^ So. MB Duke Undeclared Ali McCurdy^* Fr. DS/L Duke Undeclared Amanda Robertson@^ Jr. MB Duke Psychology Stephanie Neville@^ Sr. OH Florida State Finance/Marketing Jenna Romanelli@ Sr. L/DS Florida State Exercise Science/Dietetics Taylor Wilson Sr. L/DS Florida State Interior Design Jordan McCullers@ Sr. L/DS Georgia Tech Management Jennifer Percy Fr. OH Georgia Tech Management Asia Stawicka# Jr. MB Georgia Tech Management Mary Cushman* Fr. OH Maryland Undeclared Brittney Grove# Sr. M/RS Maryland Marketing/Communication Lisa Scott Jr. MB Maryland Criminology/Criminal Justice Bethany Springer@ Sr. L Maryland Mechanical Engineering Katie Gallagher Jr. S Miami Sports Administration Alexandria Johnson Fr. OH/RS Miami Business Shelby Bleke Jr. MH North Carolina Journalism & Mass Communcation Courtney Johnston^ Sr. OH/RS North Carolina Communication Studies Megan Cyr Jr. S NC State Communications Luciana Shafer Jr. OH NC State Business Management A.J. Cushman@ Sr. DS Virginia Kinesiology Cara Baarendse@^ So. MB Virginia Tech Human Development Jennifer Wiker Jr. OH Virginia Tech Finance Andrea Beck@^ So. MB Wake Forest Biology Carlin Salmon Jr. MB Wake Forest Communication ! denotes 2010 ACC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year @ denotes two-time honoree # denotes three-time honoree ^ denotes 2010 All-ACC Team member * denotes 2010 ACC All-Freshman Team member
[Pac-10] UCLA's Bremner Romias to be Inducted into Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Former UCLA volleyball standout Dr. Julie Bremner Romias will be one of five to be inducted into the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and announced Thursday.
A two-time Academic All-America selection in 1992 and 1993, Dr. Bremner Romias was an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First Team All-American in 1993 as well as the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year. She was a 1992 Volleyball Magazine second-team All-American and a two-time AVCA All-Pacific Region, All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 Player of the Week honoree as well as a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection.
Dr. Bremner Romias was the starting setter for the 1991 NCAA Champion Bruins and the 1992 NCAA runner-up squad. She was also a member of the U.S. National Team in 1989 and 1990. In 1997, she was chosen as one of UCLA’s 25 greatest players on the 25th anniversary of the volleyball program’s first national championship. Dr. Bremner Romias earned both an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and a NACDA/Disney Scholarship after her senior season at UCLA.
While attending medical school, Dr. Bremner Romias became a victim’s rights advocate for athletes being abused by their coaches. She also organized clothing drives and volunteered at the Venice Family Clinic during medical school and residency. Dr. Bremner Romias played on the 4-on-4 pro beach volleyball team sponsored by Nike and Norelco and did volleyball clinics for inner city kids in conjunction with that team. She has competed for the last eight years on the AVP tour and has been ranked as high as ninth nationally. A 1998 graduate of the UCLA Medical School, Dr. Bremner Romias did her family medicine residency at the Santa Monica/UCLA hospital. She is an active member of the American and California Academies of Family Physicians and has received national awards for quality care in Diabetes, and from the American Heart and Stroke Associations for delivery of Quality Cardiovascular and Stroke Care. Dr. Bremner Romias is currently a doctor at the Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center.
Joining Dr. Bremner Romias at this year’s induction ceremony at CoSIDA’s annual workshop in Marco Island, Fla., on June 28 are Peter Metzelaars (Wabash College, basketball) and Dr. Carol Lally Shields (Notre Dame, basketball), Dr. Randal Pinkett (Rutgers, track and field) and Dr. Megan Neyer (Florida, diving).
This year’s class will join 112 members of the Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame, which was created in 1988.
"The Capital One Academic All-America® Hall of Fame truly represents the 'Best of the Best' and the Class of 2011 truly lives up to this moniker," said Larry Dougherty, Temple University Associate Athletic Director and 2010-11 CoSIDA President. "These five individuals performed at the highest level, both in their sports as well as in the classroom, as student-athletes at their respective institutions. They have gone on to continue to excel in their chosen fields and within their communities. It is with great pride that CoSIDA honors them as the newest members of the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame."
UWM Volleyball Player Jen Berg Earns Horizon League All-Academic Honors Senior has 3.5 GPA, is two-time all-league performer
MILWAUKEE - Jena Berg of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been named to the Horizon League's Volleyball All-Academic Team, the league office announced today.
Berg has a 3.509 grade-point average as a health sciences major and the senior is a two-time All-Horizon League honoree.
This past season, Berg made the move from outside hitter to setter and directed the Panthers to 20 wins and the Horizon League regular season title.
Berg played in every match over the last two seasons after transferring from Tennessee. This year, she collected four double-figure kill outings and 11 double-figure dig efforts, posting seven double-doubles and one triple-double. She also had 40 or more assists seven times, with one match of 50-plus assists.
Berg finished her career in Milwaukee with over 500 kills, 700 digs, 800 assists and 100 blocks.
The Horizon League recognizes student-athletes with seasonal Academic All-League Teams in each of its 19 championship sports. To be eligible for Academic All-Horizon League consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point-average of 3.20 or higher (based on a 4.00 scale) and have completed at least one year at the member institution, having earned 24 semester-hour or 36 quarter-hour credits.
Holy Cross Volleyball Team Places Five On Patriot League Academic Honor Roll
WORCESTER, Mass. – Five members of the Holy Cross volleyball team have been selected to the 2010 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, as announced by the league office. Holy Cross was represented by seniors Angela Chisholm (Millis, Mass.) and Rebecca DeSanti (Hampden, Mass.); and sophomores Liz Ashton (Milford, Mass.), Megan Lynch (Mendham, N.J.) and Elizabeth Watters (San Francisco, Calif.). A total of 47 student-athletes from volleyball teams around the league were named to the Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible, a student-athlete must earn a 3.20 grade-point average in the fall semester and be a member of the school's team in one of the seven Patriot League-sponsored fall championship sports.
California volleyball sophomore libero Robin Rostratter Receives NCAA Elite 88 Award California volleyball sophomore libero Robin Rostratter garners athletic and academic recognition
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – California volleyball sophomore libero Robin Rostratter is the recipient of the Elite 88 award for the 2010 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship. The second-year defensive specialist from Carlsbad, Calif., currently carries a 3.81 grade-point average, and is majoring in media studies with a minor in Spanish. She was presented with the award during the volleyball championship banquet on Wednesday, Dec. 15, in Kansas City, Mo. Rostratter leads the Golden Bears in digs (4.17 dps) and service aces (0.25 saps). She is fifth in the Pac-10 for digs and eighth in service aces. She has had at least 20 digs in seven matches this season, and set a new career mark with 27 against Arizona on Sept. 24. Her 467 digs this season rank fifth in a single season at Cal. The Elite 88, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 88 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships. Eligible student-athletes must be sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed. The seventh-seeded Bears (29-3) will face sixth-seeded USC (29-4) in the 2010 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship Semifinal. The teams will take the court at 6 p.m. PT on Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Sprint Center. Fourth-seeded Penn State (30-5) and ninth-seeded Texas (27-5) face off in the first semifinal at 4 p.m. The two winners will meet for the championship in a 5:30 p.m. PT match on Saturday, Dec. 18. For more information on the Elite 88 award winners, log on to NCAA.com/elite88.
Georgia State volleyball standout Vineece Verdun Earns CAA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
RICHMOND, Va. -- Georgia State volleyball standout Vineece Verdun has been named the 2010 CAA Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced on Tuesday.
The award is just the latest in a long list of awards for the redshirt-junior this season, as Verdun was also named All-CAA First Team, CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District Third Team and COBRA Magazine all-southeast region.
Verdun, who carries a 3.78 GPA in public policy, became just the second Panther to earn first team All-CAA accolades after Alex Blenche did the same in 2005.
She becomes the first Panther volleyball player to earn the CAA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
This season the Bloomfield Hills, Mich., product led the CAA during the regular season in kills (372), kills per set (3.38), points (460.5) and points per set (4.19). Verdun also finished second in hitting percentage (.317), fifth in blocks (112) and blocks per set (1.02). Verdun's 93 block assists tied her for tenth all-time in a single season in GSU history.
Following the end of the conference and NCAA Tournaments, Verdun still led the CAA in points per set, while finishing second in hitting percentage, kills per set and points, third in kills and fifth in total blocks and blocks per set.
The conference honors a scholar-athlete in each of its 23 sports. Nominees for the award must be a starter or important reserve on their team and must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.25. The winners were selected by a vote of the sports information directors at each CAA institution.
Three Hawks Named to America East Volleyball All-Academic Team
WEST HARTFORD, CONN. – The University of Hartford volleyball team’s success off the court has once again been recognized as three members of the team have been named to the America East All-Academic Team, the most from any one school among the eight total honorees. Senior Lindsay Ford was one of two members of the All-Academic team who are repeat members from last season. She is joined by junior Lindsay Makowicki and sophomore Kami Nethersole.
Ford has amassed a cumulative grade point average of more than 3.5 as a physical therapy major. The Carson City, Nev. native will continue her education at the University, despite using her four years of athletic eligibility. Ford will continue working towards a doctorate in physical therapy, a seven year program at Hartford.
Ford completed her eligibility with the third most assists in school history, finishing with 3,456 total assists. She finished her senior season with a career-high 977 assists, while earning second team all-conference honors, her first collegiate postseason honor for athletics.
Makowicki posted the highest single grade point average on the 2010 All-Academic Team, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.88 as a marketing major. She is one of four juniors represented on the team. She finished the season with 88 total kills.
Nethersole, who led the Hawks on the court as a sophomore, is as one of two student-athletes on the All-Academic Team with a combined grade point average of 3.87. She is the youngest member of the 2010 All-Academic Team and is a communications major.
On the court, Nethersole led the Hawks with 325 kills, a career-high. She closed out the season hitting double figure kills in the last nine matches of the season, earning a postseason honor for the second-straight season as she joined Ford on the second team all-conference. The Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. native posted a career-high 28 kills in a five set match against Navy, finishing with the most kills for a Hawk since November of 2002. The All-Academic squads are a product of the June 2005 Athletics Directors meeting where faculty representatives and athletics directors from each of the conference’s nine member institutions decided to honor the league’s top student-athletes, who excel equally in the classroom as they do on the playing field. For the third straight year, America East will select the All-Academic teams using CoSIDA’s Academic All-America program as a model. Student-athletes worthy of consideration are nominated by member sports information directors and voted on by a committee of SIDs, academic advisors and faculty representatives from all nine member institutions. All-Academic squads for team sports are based on the maximum number of athletes that participate in a contest at one time (e.g., seven on the court in volleyball) but can be more if there is a tie in voting. To be nominated for the distinction, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve for their team and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s games or competitions. In the classroom, student-athletes must have a 3.30 GPA and have completed at least one calendar year at their institution. Freshmen are not eligible for consideration.
