BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - WKU volleyball student-athletes Rachel Engle and Heather Boyan were named to the Capital One Academic All-District list for their efforts on and off the court, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Engle and Boyan are first-time honorees to the list, as both are valuable members of the WKU volleyball team. The two comprise four Conference USA members selected to a first-team list while five C-USA student-athletes were chosen overall. As a program, WKU now has nine Capital One Academic All-District selections.
The duo will now be up for consideration on the Capital One Academic All-America ballot. To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 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 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
Engle holds a 4.0 GPA with a major in biology and minor in chemistry. Selected to the Sun Belt Conference's Commissioner's List in 2013, the junior shows her versatility on the court by playing any position when called. The Floyds Knobs, Ind., native holds 170 digs, 70 kills, 29 assists, 20 service aces and four blocks this season. She was named to the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational All-Tournament Team after notching 31 digs, 14 kills and four service aces in wins over No. 8 Purdue, Austin Peay and Western Michigan.
Boyan is an exercise science major with a minor in nutrition, as the senior sports a 3.8 GPA. A two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week, the Munster, Ind., native ranks in the top 125 nationally while eighth in the league with a .329 hitting percentage. Boyan's defensive game is also taking a step up this season, as she leads the team and second in the league with 1.08 blocks per set. Last season, Boyan was named to the SBC Commissioner's List, joining five other Lady Toppers.
The WKU volleyball team has four games remaining in the regular season, as the team does its final road trip with a game at Southern Miss on Friday and a match at Marshall on Sunday.
The 2014 WKU volleyball season is being presented by the United States Marines. This season, the Marines and WKU Athletics are working together to promote the outstanding athletic and academic achievements of our female student-athletes. The Marines are proud to work with and support these future leaders of America.
For all the latest news and information on WKU volleyball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program on Twitter via @TravisHudsonWKU and @WKUVolleyball.
