ELON, N.C. - Elon senior volleyball player Sarah Schermerhorn has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District 3 First Team as announced on Thursday. Schermerhorn, a native of Colfax, N.C., holds a 3.96 GPA as an economics major.
Last year, Schermerhorn was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III second-team, as well as the Southern Conference Academic All-Conference Team. Schermerhorn was the 2010 female recipient of Elon's A.L. Hook-Scholar Athlete award, given annually to the junior or senior male and female student-athletes who possess the highest cumulative GPA.
This season, Schermerhorn has started all of Elon's 29 matches and sits second on the team in kills (270), blocks (84) and service aces (29). The senior is averaging 2.57 kills per set and .80 blocks per set.
Schermerhorn is the first Elon volleyball player to be named to the Academic All-District First Team. Earning CoSIDA/ESPN All-District Academic First Team honors has automatically nominated Schermerhorn for Academic All-America status.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volleyball senior middle blocker Courtney Barnes was named to the ESPN Academic All-District IV First Team on Tuesday. This is the third all-district honor for Barnes, but the first with first team honors.
With the first team selection, Barnes will be nominated for the ESPN Academic All-America team voted upon by CoSIDA with the team being released on Nov. 22.
"It is a great honor for Courtney [Barnes] to be named to the first team," said head coach Lisa Rhodes. "It proves the fact that you can have a true student-athlete. She has not only excelled on the court, but in the classroom."
Academically, she had earned a 3.91 grade-point average as a Health and Human Performance major and has shown her dedication on the court and in the classroom.
The Franklin, Tenn., native has been the Lady Mocs primary offensive threat during her senior campaign. Her presence as a middle blocker has allowed for the team's young outside hitter an opportunity to generate kills down the line and cross court.
"She has stepped up and been a senior leader for our team with the experience that she has had as a player," said Rhodes. "Overall, she has been a great role model for our players as a student and as an athlete."
She has recorded 2.33 kills per set, while hitting at .337 percent to lead the team and is fourth in the Southern Conference in hitting percentage. Over her four-year career, she has compiled a .310 attacking percentage, which ranks second all-time in Chattanooga history.
Barnes paces the team with 20 solo blocks and is second on the team with 87 total blocks. For her career, the senior ranks seventh in total blocks with 261, eighth in block assists with 206 and ninth in solo blocks with 55.
As a sophomore, she was honored by ESPN/CoSIDA as an All-District IV Second Team and was a Third Team selection last season.
Joining Barnes on the first team was Western Michigan's Allyson Doyle, Memphis' Christine Bach, Morehead State's Holly Evans and Kirstie Brangers and Tennessee's Nikki Fowler.
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Junior Carrie Minogue was named to the ESPN Academic All-District® III Team for her accomplishments on and off the court.
The middle blocker was selected to the third team and became the first Catamount volleyball player to garner the nationally recognized award since Sara Komosinkski received the accolades in 2002, also being selected to the District III Third Team.
Minogue leads the Catamount defensive attack at the net this season, posting a team-best 54 blocks including 13 solo stops. The Louisville, Ky., native also ranks third on the team in kills with 193 (1.89 k/s) to go along with 46 digs and 20 service aces.
The junior also excels academically, boasting an unblemished 4.00 grade point average as an Entrepreneurship major.
Minogue and the Catamounts return to action on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. against Samford. WCU looks to avenge a three-set loss in Birmingham, Ala., to the Bulldogs back on Oct. 8.
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Senior outside hitter Sarabeth Peele has been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District III Third Team for her outstanding performance on the court and in the classroom.
Peele leads the SoCon in kills for a second straight season with 368 kills (3.54/set) and enters the weekend ranked fifth in Davidson history with 1,585 career kills. The 2010 preseason All-SoCon selection has also earned SoCon Player of the Week honors twice this season and has topped the 20-kill mark on six ocassions this season to go along with four double-doubles.
In the classroom, the classics major from San Antonio, Texas, sports a 3.84 GPA.