C-USA Volleyball All-Academic Team Announced
11/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2007
IRVING, Texas -- - Fourteen volleyball student-athletes were named to the 2007 Conference USA All-Academic Team, as announced by the league office today. The all-academic team consists of student-athletes that have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve on the volleyball team.
Five seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and a redshirt freshman make up the 2007 All-Academic Volleyball Team. Conference USA regular season champion placed three-time C-USA Player of the Year Kelly-Anne Billingy on the squad, along with senior teammates Stephanie Cahill and Uche Ndubisi. Last night, Billingy became the first volleyball player in league history to be voted Player of the Year for three-consecutive seasons. Cahill, a senior outside hitter, also earned All-C-USA first team honors. Marshall is the host of the 2007 C-USA Volleyball Championship that begins today.
Southern Miss junior Ashley Petrinec, a 4.00-student in mathematics/computer science, UAB junior Casey Dent and Memphis' Ashley Liford are making repeat appearances on the team. UCF junior Jenny Heppert, who also maintains a 4.00 GPA, was the only unanimous selection to the squad.
Petrinec ranks second for the Lady Eagles in kills with 287 and digs with 281, after being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI third team. She leads the Golden Eagles in double-doubles with 10 (kills-digs). Dent joined Liford on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV third team and All-C-USA second team. She concluded regular season play with a .333 hitting efficiency, which ranks sixth best in the league. Heppert was the lone junior and one of only two players from the state of Florida to make the six-person all-district team. She is UCFs first player to make the Academic All-District III First Team.
An ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV third team selection, Liford has a 3.72 GPA as a marketing management major, was joined by teammate Christine Bach. Lilford has started all 31 matches this season and leads the Tigers offense and ranks ninth among Conference USA hitter with 3.85 kills per game. A redshirt freshman, Bach maintains a 3.92 GPA as an International Business major with a minor in French.
Tulane sophomore Jenn Miller, the 2007 C-USA Libero of the Year, and junior Ashley Bernards both represented the Green Wave on the All-Academic Team. Miller, an All-C-USA second teamer, has had three 30-dig matches and 26 matches with 10-or-more digs this season. Bernards, an all-district VI third team pick, was named Tulane's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2006-07 and is a recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Medal.
East Carolina senior Kelley Wernert, Houston junior Kelsey King, Rice sophomore Jessie Boulavsky and Tulsa junior Kelsey Wood round out the 2007 Conference USA All-Academic Team. Wernert, a two-time All-C-USA first team pick, is averaging 5.02 kills and 5.92 points per game. She also produced 12 double-doubles on the season and was named College Volleyball Update National Player of the Week for the Week on Oct. 18. On the court, Boulavsky has made eight starts and been the first off the bench in the other 18 matches as the Owls' right-side hitter. She is second on the team with a .318 hitting percentage and third with 0.65 blocks per game.
2007 C-USA VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Name School Class GPA Major
Kelley Wernert East Carolina Sr. 3.70 Exercise Science & Physical Education
Kelsey King Houston Jr. 3.94 Psychology
Kelly-Anne Billingy Marshall Sr. 3.25 Accounting
Stephanie Cahill Marshall Sr. 3.24 Nursing
Uche Ndubisi Marshall Sr. 3.67 Athletic Training
Christine Bach Memphis R-Fr. 3.92 International Business (French Minor)
*Ashley Liford Memphis Sr. 3.72 Marketing Management
Jessie Boulavsky Rice So. 4.099 Psychology (Pre-Med)
*Ashley Petrinec Southern Miss Jr. 4.00 Mathematics/Computer Science
Ashley Bernards Tulane Jr. 3.95 Finance
Jenn Miller Tulane So. 3.52 Business
Kelsey Wood Tulsa Jr. 3.51 Marketing
*Casey Dent UAB Jr. 3.88 Pre-Business
Jenny Heppert UCF Jr. 4.00 Biology
*Repeat selection