Hanlan And Burns Named Academic All-District
11/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 10, 2011
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Madison Hanlan and Sabrina Burns were each named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII volleyball team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday, with Hanlan being named to the first team and Burns being named to the second team.
The pair of junior Ladyjacks make up half of a group of four Southland players that made the team, with Hanlan joining UTSA's Kelsey Jewasko and Kelsey Schwirtlich as first-team selections.
To be eligible players had to be of significant contribution to their teams, be at least a sophomore in eligibility and carry a 3.30 GPA or higher while competing as a significant contributor in at least half of the team's matches for the season.
It was the second consecutive seasons both Hanlan and Burns being named to the all-district tea, and Hanlan's selection also marks the fourth consecutive year in which SFA has had a player earn first-team recognition. Each player has managed to maintain a perfect 4.0 in their classes entering the fall of their junior campaigns, with Hanlan majoring in cellular and molecular biology, and Burns majoring in professional accountancy. They were two of just four athletes on the nomination list with perfect 4.0 GPAs.
Hanlan was awarded first-team honors after being named to the second team as a sophomore. She currently ranks third in the Southland with a 5.03 digs-per-set average, and has gone over 30 digs in a match three times this year, including a career-best 35 in a five-set win over UAB. Despite recently going down with a shoulder injury, she still has managed to become just the fourth Ladyjack in history to surpass the 1,500-dig mark for her career and will likely move into second place all-time at SFA in digs as a senior, trailing only former all-America libero Stephanie Figgers.
Meanwhile, Burns is experiencing a breakout season, swinging at a .248 clip and averaging 1.85 kills per set for the year from her middle blocker post; however, her defensive play at the net as cemented herself as one of the top middle blockers in the league. The 6-2 junior from McAlester, Okla., is averaging a solid 1.08 blocks per set for the year, but has upped her production to 1.42 blocks per set in 14 league matches, which is second among all SLC players in league-only play. She has registered multiple blocks in 27 of 29 matches, including tying a career high with 10 in a five-set comeback win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
With their selections both Burns and Hanlan will be included on the ballot for Academic All-America honors in December.
-SFA-
