CLARION’S FIORILLO NAMED FIRST TEAM

ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT

Senior setter now eligible for ESPN Academic All-American award

            Clarion University senior setter Kristi Fiorillo (Meadville/Meadville) was named first team District 2 College Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District women’s volleyball Thursday.

            Fiorillo, a senior Elementary Education major with a 3.93 GPA, will now be considered for the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team.

            On the season, Fiorillo has helped the Golden Eagles to a 25-4 overall record and a 7-3 PSAC-West finish that was good for second place in the PSAC-West. Clarion, which is ranked second in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region, is in action Friday against West Chester at the PSAC Playoffs. It is the Golden Eagles first PSAC Playoff appearance since 2004.

            Fiorillo leads the PSAC and is 16th in the nation in assists per game (12.75) while adding 274 digs. She is sixth in school history in career helpers with 2,617 in just her second season as the starting setter.

            Helping Clarion to two of the last three NCAA Division II Tournaments, Fiorillo is the daughter of Mike and Cindy Fiorillo of Meadville.

            NOTES – District 2 consists of NCAA Division II and III schools in the Mid-Atlantic states … 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 and 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 … For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com