SFA Lands Three on Academic All-Southland Conference Team
12/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 18, 2008
FRISCO, Texas - The 2008 Southland Conference All-Academic teams were announced on Thursday with three Ladyjacks - Lauren Railey, Shelly Swendig and Laurel Kuepker - each earning automatic selections to the first team.
The All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic/compliance administrators from each SLC university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.00 cumulative grade point average, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competition to qualify for the all-academic squad. Automatic selections are earned from having met all qualifications in addition to being named to the All-SLC first team, or by being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District team.
Railey was named to the team for the third consecutive year after already having earned her second consecutive All-SLC first team honor in late November. The senior closed out one of the best careers in the history of SFA Volleyball this season, becoming the first Ladyjack and only the eighth player in the history of the Southland Conference to record 1,500 digs and 1,500 kills in a career. The biology major finished her career ranked third all-time at SFA in attacks, third in digs, fourth in kills and eighth in service aces. This year she led the team in kills, attacks and aces and closed out the year strong with eight double-doubles in her final 10 matches.
Swendig landed on the first team for the second time in as many seasons, this time by virtue of her selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team. The senior showed balance and efficiency across the board in 2008, hitting .255 from her outside hitter spot, the third-best mark on the team. The political science and international studies major also averaged 2.38 kills, 1.67 digs and 0.58 blocks per set while also dishing out 46 assists which was the most by any non-setter on the roster.
Kuepker also earned her way onto the first team for the first time in her career by way of her selection to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team. The LaPorte, Ind., sophomore is majoring in liberal studies and was named SLC Defensive Player of the Week four times this season on her way to earning honorable mention all-conference honors. She led the SLC in digs in 2008 with a 4.45 average, going over 30 digs in a match three times including a career-high 36 in a five-set win over SMU in Dallas.
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