Nov. 17, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Mizzou volleyball team was recognized for its work in the classroom as six members of the team were honored as Academic All-Big 12 selections, announced by the Big 12 Office on Tuesday (Nov. 17). Five student-athletes from the Mizzou volleyball team were selected to the first team while one landed on the second team. The five first-team Academic All-Big 12 selections are the most for the Tigers since the 2005 season when they also had five members selected to the first-team.
The five first-team honorees are Priscilla Armendariz (Blue Springs, Mo.), Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa), Annie Lopez (St. Louis, Mo.), Weiwen Wang (Nanjing, China) and Lei Wang-Francisco (Shanghai, China). Wang-Francisco becomes a four-time honoree as she has earned first-team laurels in each season since 2006 as she is in her fifth year with the program. Wang and Klein are also repeating performers as both landed on the first team in 2008 as well. Armendariz and Lopez were both named to the first team for the first time in their careers. Lopez led all Tigers this season with a 3.81 grade-point-average as an undeclared arts and science major.
Junior Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) was named to the second team as she just missed the 3.20 GPA cut-off with a 3.19 cumulative mark in health science. The second-team award is the first of Wilson's career.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the men's cross country academic all-league squad consisted of 43 first team members combined with nine on the second team, while the women had 54 first team recipients and 15 student-athletes on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of his/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 also eligible.
The volleyball team returns to the court - where it has been very successful as of late as well - tomorrow as they take on Texas Tech in Lubbock as they look to secure an NCAA Tournament berth. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com.
