CoSIDA Release
AUSTIN, Texas (Dec.
8, 2016) – The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)
named its Academic All-America teams on Thursday morning. Wyoming senior standout
Laura Beach adds to an already historical career by being named to the Academic
All-American Third Team. In the history of Wyoming volleyball, she is just the
third Academic All-American and first since JennaRae Jester in 2010, who earned
second team recognition.
The senior from Lakewood, Colo., carries a 3.95 GPA,
majoring in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. Beach was named to the CoSIDA
Academic All-District first team that was announced in early November and to
round out Beach's body of work off the court, she has earned recognition as a
MW Scholar Athlete three times. She received an AVCA All-Pacific Region honorable
mention nod on Tuesday while once again being named All-MW just a week prior.
Beach, a three-time All-MW player, finished first in career
hitting percentage at Wyoming, tallying .372. She completed her four-year
career wearing the Brown and Gold with 109 consecutive starts and was also
fifth in career blocks with 438, in addition to claiming 12th place with
982 kills. She twice led the Mountain West and was frequently among the
nation's best in hitting percentage. Beach led
the team with 295 kills and a .399 hitting percentage this past season. She
started in all 31 matches for the Cowgirls and her hitting percentage (.399) topped
the MW and was 14th in the NCAA. It was also the fourth-best in Wyoming
single-season history.
To
be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be
a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale
of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her
current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America
honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA,
covering all NCAA championship sports.
CoSIDA ACADEMIC
ALL-AMERICA® DIVISION I VOLLEYBALL TEAM
First Team:
Paige
Tapp, Minnesota
Teegan
Van Gunst, Georgia Tech
Aubrey Edie, Mississippi
Leah Mikesky, Rice
Kadie Rolfzen, Nebraska
Second Team:
Ashley Evans, Purdue
Kayla Ostrom, Lipscomb
Krystal Rivers, Alabama
Marguerite Grubb, Texas Tech
Lily Johnson, Missouri State
Jaelyn Keene, Illinois State
Third Team:
Laura Beach, Wyoming
Hayleigh Washington, Penn State
Kelsey Bittinger, Kent State
Lauren Carlini, Wisconsin
Kyra Coundourides, Temple
Hannah Klemm, Hofstra
