Kurtz and Stilwell Named to Academic All-District Team
11/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 4, 2010
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Air Force volleyball seniors Caroline Kurtz and Nichole Stilwell were named to the ESPN The Magazine University Division Academic All-District VII Team, the College Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA) announced on Thursday, Nov. 4. Kurtz garnered first-team distinction and will be placed on the national ballot, while Stilwell was named to the second team.
This is the second time that both Kurtz and Stilwell have been recognized by CoSIDA for their academic performance, as Kurtz claimed second-team honors last year and Stilwell was named to the third team as a sophomore.
Kurtz, the first player to earn a first-team selection since 2003, holds a 3.86 GPA in systems engineering/human systems. Averaging 3.58 kills per set, Kurtz is currently ranked second in the Mountain West Conference. Highlighted by a career-best 24 kills against San Diego State, Kurtz has led the team in kills during 19 of 23 matches. She has accounted for nine double-doubles this season and 21 for her career, while ranking third in career digs (792) and fourth in career kills (892) in the program's all-time Division I record book.
Stilwell, a mathematics major with a 3.62 GPA, has led the team in hitting during 14 matches and paced the team in blocks during 13 contests. She recorded a season-best eight blocks against Memphis and added six on two other occasions. She is ranked fourth on the program's all-time (Division I) list for both assisted (199) and total blocks (238), while ranking seven in solo stops with 39. She is also ranked sixth on the all-time (Division I) list with 830 career kills. The 2009 Most Valuable Player has been ranked among the conference leaders in hitting throughout the season
It is the first time since 1999 that more than one player has earned academic all-conference honors in the same season (Kat Dehne, Laura Terry). Delavane Diaz (2003) and Kim Kallabis (2007) have also represented Air Force on the academic all-conference team.
To be nominated for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher. Team members are then selected by a vote of the members of CoSIDA within the district. District 7 includes Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, as well as Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Division 7 University First-Team: JuliAnne Chisholm (Kansas State), JennaRae Jester (Wyoming), Beth Discher (Northern Iowa), Caroline Kurtz (Air Force), Jamie Straube (Iowa State), Emily Heffernen (Drake) ... Division 7 Second-Team: Dana Cranston (Colorado State), Angela Bys (Drake), Megan Bober (Creighton), Paige Dossey (Southeast Missouri State), Nichole Stilwell (Air Force), Alicia Runge (Creighton), Allie Oelke (Creighton), Karine Garlington (Kansas)
