Clarion University's Katie Aurand and Nicole Andrusz have been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District women's volleyball team.
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| Katie Aurand |
Aurand (Whitmore Lake, Mich./Ladywood), a junior, is a first-team District 2 College Division selection who carries a 4.0 GPA in Biology/Pre-Med. A defensive specialist, she has played in 74 sets this season and is fourth on the team with 131 digs (1.77 dpg) while adding 21 service aces. By virtue of her first-team selection, she is now eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America.
Andrusz (Lockport, NY/Starpoint), a sophomore, is a second-team District 2 choice who carries a 4.0 GPA in Accounting. A starting middle hitter, she is second on the team in kills with 219 (2.26 kpg) and leads the team with 67 blocks (0.69 bpg) while adding 51 digs (0.53 dpg). She was named PSAC-West Player of the Week two weeks ago.
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| Nicole Andrusz |
Aurand and Andrusz have helped lead a young Clarion squad that features seven freshmen and sophomores in its regular rotation to a 16-14 overall mark and a 5-6 mark in the PSAC-West. The Golden Eagles can clinch a PSAC Playoff berth, their second in a row, with a win in the regular-season finale at Slippery Rock Saturday.
This is the second consecutive season the Clarion women's volleyball team has had at least one member of the ESPN The Magazine All-Academic squad. Last season, senior Kristi Fiorillo was a third-team Academic All-America after being a first-team Academic All-Region selection.
The teams are selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), and the College Division consists of four-year schools that are not NCAA Division I institutions.
NOTES - Last season's team was also an American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award winner ... Aurand and Andrusz were two of seven PSAC women's volleyball players named Academic All-District.
ABOUT THE ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The Academic All-America program annually honors over 1,600 student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through a voting by CoSIDA (the College Sports Information Directors of America), a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Since the programs' inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in NCAA Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter of key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.20 on a scale of 4.0, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director ... ESPN The Magazine, winner of the 2006 and 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence, is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.9 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.
The College Division of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams consists of players competiting at Division II and Division III schools, while the University Division consists of players competing at the Division I level.
For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com
