Nov. 19, 2001
DALLAS-The Big 12 Conference announced the names of 53 student-athletes who have been named to the 2001 Volleyball Academic All-Big 12 Team, the conference office announced Monday.
Among the 53 honored were four members of the University of Missouri volleyball team. Senior defensive specialists Katie Sowers and Rachael Taylor, and junior outside hitter Lisa Morris were named to the first team while senior outside hitter Naaron Branson was named to the second team. Taylor and Sowers are both three-time recipients of the honor while Branson and Morris have been named to the team twice. Head coach Susan Kreklow said that the four elected members are deserved of the honor.
"Katie, Rachael, Lisa and Naaron all work very hard both on the court and in the classroom," Kreklow said. "Our team, as a whole, takes great pride in academic excellence and the recognition our players receive is a testament to that."
Sowers currently is second on the team in digs per game (2.83) while Taylor leads the squad in service aces (36). Branson leads the Tigers in digs per game (3.43) and became only the second player in MU history to record 1000 kills and 1000 digs in her career. This is Morris' second award of the season. She was named to the Verizon Academic All-District VII first team earlier this month.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the volleyball academic all-league squad consisted of 42 combined first-team members with 11 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.2 or better grade point average, while the second team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are eligible