Xavier’s Duchek and Linfield’s Harksen Head
2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Volleyball Team
WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior outside hitter Kate Duchek of Xavier University and senior right-side hitter Lindsay Harksen of Linfield College head the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women’s Volleyball Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Duchek, a native of St. Louis, Mo., was voted as the Academic All-America of the Year in the University Division. She makes her second consecutive appearance on the Academic All-America squad and was a third-team selection in 2004. Duchek, who has a 4.00 grade point average in education, received the Atlantic 10 Conference Student-Athlete of the Year award in volleyball for the second straight year. Duchek, a senior outside hitter, led the Musketeers to a 19-11 record and a trip to the semifinal round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. A two-time first-team all-conference performer, she averaged 4.04 kills and 1.15 digs with a .249 hitting percentage. Harksen, who helped lead her team to a 21-5 record and an NCAA Division III tournament bid, was an All-West Region selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. In addition, she earned a third straight first-team All-Northwest Conference award. She led her team in kills (354) and hitting percentage (.294) and set the Linfield career record for blocks. Maintaining a perfect 4.00 grade point average at Linfield, where she is majoring in finance, Harksen is one of four first-team Academic All-America® selections with 4.00 GPAs on the seven-member first team. The others with 4.00 GPAs are American Southwest Conference Player of the Year Virginia Aguilar of Hardin-Simmons, junior outside hitter Rebecca Brezovec of Wingate, senior outside hitter Marian Broderick of Missouri Western. Rounding out the first team in the college division are Elmhurst College senior outside hitter Nicole Carlson (3.96), senior setter Katya Khmelnitskaya of New York University, and Emily Roth of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, the Central Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Khmelnitskaya was a second-team Academic All-America selection in 2004. Joining Duchek on the University Division Academic All-America first team were Paula Caten (Kansas), Christina Houghtelling (Nebraska), Jackie Choi (New Mexico State), Kate Bean (Toledo) and Sarah Pavan (Nebraska). With the exception of Houghtelling (3.90), all have perfect 4.0 grade point averages for their collegiate career. Choi, a junior setter from Corpus Christi, Texas, also made the Academic All-America third team one year ago. She posted a 4.00 GPA in dual major of accounting and economics. Choi, an All-Sun Belt Conference standout, averages 12.05 assists from her setter position. The Academic All-America® Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 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 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports. ESPN The Magazine – winner of the 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence – is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.85 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports. For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com or e-mail rlipe@bentley.edu.
2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Volleyball Team (University Division)
as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Name School Dist. Yr. Pos Hometown GPA, Major Kate Bean Toledo IV Jr OH Louisville, Ky. 4.00, Community Health Paula Caten Kansas VII Sr OH Canarana, Brazil 4.00, Communication Studies +Jackie Choi New Mexico State VI Jr S Corpus Christi, Texas 4.00, Accounting & Economics +Kate Duchek Xavier IV Sr OH St. Louis, Mo. 4.00, Education Christina Houghtelling Nebraska VII Jr OH Cambridge, Neb. 3.90, Elementary Education/ Coaching Sarah Pavan Nebraska VII So OH Kitchener, Ont. 4.00, Biochemistry
Second Team
Name School Dist. Yr. Pos Hometown GPA, Major Lauren Brewster Notre Dame V Sr MB Brentwood, Tenn. 3.37, Marketing & Sociology Abby Ettenhofer Youngstown State IV Sr MH Hebron, Ohio 4.00, Middle Childhood Educ. Christine Harms Nevada VIII Sr OH/L Placerville, Calif. 4.00, Civil Engineering Sarah Kirkwood Virginia III So OH Tampa, Fla. 4.00, Echols Interdisciplinary Major +Candace Lee Washington VIII Sr L Eugene, Ore. 3.78, English +Courtney Thompson Washington VIII Jr S Kent, Wash. 3.52, Business Administration Rebecca Wieters Charleston III Sr RS Goose Creek, S.C. 3.97, History
Third Team
Name School Dist. Yr. Pos Hometown GPA, Major Christi Hahn Texas A&M VI Jr MB Leander, Texas 4.00, Kinesiology & Exercise Science Heidi Krug East Carolina III Jr S Kildeer, Ill. 4.00, Biology Jenna Maddocks Cleveland State IV Sr OH Norwalk, Ohio 3.98, Early Childhood Educ. Anne Morrow Tennesse Tech IV Sr OH Springfield, Ohio 3.95, Biology Sarah Obras Ball State V Sr OH Pendleton, Ind. 3.86, Accounting
Academic All-America of the Year: Kate Duchek (Xavier)
+2004 Academic All-America Third Team
2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Volleyball Team (College Division)
as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Name School Dist. Yr. Pos Hometown GPA, Major Virginia Aguilar Hardin-Simmons VI Jr MB Kalheo, Hawaii 4.00, Computer Science Rebecca Brezovec Wingate III Jr OH Durham, N.C. 4.00, Sociology Marian Broderick Missouri Western VII Sr L/OH Wichita, Kan. 4.00, Mathematics Nicole Carlson Elmhurst V Sr OH Forreston, Ill. 3.96, Accounting +Lindsay Harksen Linfield VIII Sr RS Sublimity, Ore. 4.00, Finance *Katya Khmelnitskaya New York Univ. I Sr S Albany, N.Y. 3.59, Psychology Emily Roth Univ. of the Sciences II Sr OH York, Pa. 3.93, Pharmacy in Philadelphia Seven on first team due to tie in voting
Second Team
Name School Dist. Yr. Pos Hometown GPA, Major Jessica Bartlett Francis Marion III Sr OH Richmond, Va. 3.96, Chemistry Jessica Lucia Concordia (Minn.) V Jr OH/RS Plymouth, Minn. 3.90, Elementary Educ. Lindsey Martin Abilene Christian VI Sr S Sugar Land, Texas 3.97, Exercise Science +Lindsay Thiery Mount St. Joseph IV Sr L Cincinnati, Ohio 4.00, Business Natalja Tinina Madonna IV Sr OH Riga, Latvia 3.93, Sports Management
Third Team
Name School Dist. Yr. Pos Hometown GPA, Major Michelle Bernhardt Abilene Christian VI Sr OH Hereford, Texas 3.77, Engineering Science Vanessa Ferretti North Alabama IV Sr OH/MB Porto Allegre, Brazil 3.57, Political Science +Kecia Jennings Rockhurst VII Sr S Leavenworth, Kan. 3.92, Biology/Spanish Frida Sigurdardottir Savannah Col. Art & III Jr MH Reykjavik, Iceland 4.00, Architecture Design Tina Talsma So. Ill.-Edwardsville V Sr MH Orono, Ont. 4.00, Philosophy Kelly Virkler New Haven I Sr MH/L Watertown, N.Y. 4.18, Forensic Science/ Chemistry *Second-team selection in 2004 +Third-team selection in 2004
Academic All-America of the Year: Lindsay Harksen, Linfield