ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® TEAM S ELECTED BY C O S IDA

For Release: Thursday, Dec. 14 – 12 noon ET KATIE PLACKE OF HASTINGS HEADLINES CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® COLLEGE DIVISION TEAMS

AUSTIN, Texas – Senior Katie Placke of Hastings College headline the 2017 Academic All-America® College Division volleyball teams as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Placke was named the CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year for College Division volleyball.

The CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division volleyball teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two- year institutions.

Placke is a setter for the Broncos, having helped them to three consecutive trips to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In those trips to national tournament, Hastings advanced to the single-elimination round and won the 2016 national title, earning Placke a spot on the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team. Listed a setter, Placke showed great versatility throughout her career as she amassed 3,493 assists, 1,034 digs, 920 kills, and 387 total blocks during her tenure. Placke notched a career-high 344 kills during her senior season and ranks 25th in the NAIA in hitting percentage at 0.330. She also tallied 601 assists, 232 digs and 77 total blocks. Placke earned NAIA All-America first team honors in 2016 and 2017 after being an honorable mention in 2015.

The four-time All-Great Plains Athletic Conference selection is a human resources management major from Grand Island, Nebraska, and boasts a 4.00 grade-point average. Placke earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team last year.

Another repeat selection on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team is Libby Brenton of Siena Heights University. Brenton was named to CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team a year ago. Second team member Makenzie Montano of Lindsey Wilson College is a repeat honoree as well after making the second team in 2016.

The 14 members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® College Division volleyball team have an average GPA of 3.96.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Michael MacEachern, | Academic All-America® Co-Director for Publicity [email protected] | (706) 379-5106

Jay Stancil, (Ky.) | Academic All-America® Coordinator of Publicity [email protected] | (606) 546-1292

2017 Academic All-America® Volleyball Team College Division

FIRST TEAM Name School Yr. GPA Major Libby Breton (2) Siena Heights University Sr. 4.00 Biology Aneisha Ford Park University Sr. 4.00 Nursing Annie Kate Hudson University of Mobile Sr. 3.87 Kinesiology Andrea Novakovic Oklahoma Wesleyan University Sr. 4.00 Accounting Kristen Osborn Mount Vernon Nazarene University Jr. 4.00 Biology Katie Placke (1) Hastings College Sr. 4.00 Human Resources Management Holly Randall Sr. 4.04 Political Science / Spanish

SECOND TEAM Name School Yr. GPA Major Taylor Cowan MidAmerica Nazarene University Sr. 3.98 Nursing Danielle Curnes College of the Ozarks Sr. 3.97 Nursing Amanda Hawkins Madonna University Jr. 3.79 Psychology / Mental Health Amy Horner Tabor College Sr. 3.86 Chemistry / Math Jessica Jensen William Woods University So. 4.00 Accounting Amanda Metz Siena Heights University Sr. 4.00 English / Language Arts Makenzie Montano (2) Lindsey Wilson College Sr. 3.94 Communication

CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year: Kaite Placke, Hastings

(1) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team selection in 2016 (2) – CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team selection in 2016