November 19, 2006 - MAAC All-Academic

November 19, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Women's College Volleyball
Rider places four on MAAC All-Academic Team

ORLANDO, FLA.— Older and wiser.  The Rider University volleyball team placed four student-athletes on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic team, it was announced Sunday. 

That’s every sophomore, junior and senior on the roster, the elder statesmen on the team if you will, taking care of business in the classroom.

To be honored, the student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a g.p.a. at or above 3.200.  With eight freshmen on the 12 player roster, every eligible player was honored with All-Academic honors, 100 percent. 

“It is a huge accomplishment,” said head coach Emily Ahlquist.  “We put so much work into the academic side of their collegiate careers at Rider.  They are at Rider University to get a college education and the fact that they are excelling in the classroom is a huge testament to the student-athletes themselves.  Having 100 percent of the eligible athletes receive conference academic honors speaks volumes about the support systems that are in place in the athletic department so that we are able to do our job of graduating our student-athletes.”

Senior Megan Smith, junior Katrina Stehle and sophomores Lindsay Brant and Lacey Johnson were honored.

Smith (Webster, N.Y.), a three-time honoree will graduate in May with a degree in Secondary Education/English and has a g.p.a. of 3.673.  Stehle (Greensburg, Pa.), a two-time honoree is a Biology major with a g.p.a. of 3.759.

Johnson (Aurora, Colo.), a Business major has a g.p.a. of 3.300 with Brant (Long Beach, N.Y.) compiling a 3.200 g.p.a., as a General Liberal Arts major.

35 volleyball student-athletes have received All-MAAC Academic honors since Rider joined the conference in 1997, including 12 in the last three seasons.  In the spring of 2006, the volleyball team compiled a 3.62 g.p.a., the highest semester g.p.a. ever recorded at Rider.  Last season, all 10 players on the roster had a g.p.a. over 3.000.

The Broncs completed the 2006 season with a record of 8-21, 6-12 in the MAAC.

-RU-