Schmale Garners Academic All-League Honors
Dec 11, 2013 | Volleyball
OMAHA, Neb. – Sophomore middle blocker Megan Schmale was named to the Summit League's Volleyball Academic All-League Team, it was announced Wednesday. The team was voted on by the eight conference institutions' faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors. A total of seven student-athletes were named to the team and honored for their combined athletic and academic performances this season.
Schmale, a native of Murdock, Neb., becomes the second UNO player to earn an Academic All-Summit honor, joining former Maverick Amy Roberts (2012). Schmale averaged 1.16 blocks and 2.02 kills per set this season, with her blocking average ranking among the top 100 nationally. Schmale led the conference in blocks per set, block assists and total blocks, and her .295 attack percentage ranked fifth among league hitters through regular-season play. She carries a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in elementary education and was the only 2013 Academic All-Summit pick with a 4.0 GPA.
Fort Wayne and IUPUI, the 2013 Summit League Regular Season and Tournament Champion, tied with a league-best two selections. Denver, Omaha and Western Illinois each had one honoree on the team. Four of the seven members were named to the all-league team, while two more earned honorable mention. All seven student-athletes hold a 3.64 grade-point average (GPA) or better.
To be eligible for the Summit League Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), have completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team's competitions. The volleyball all-league team is made up of the six student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.
Name (School) -- Year, Pos., GPA, Major
Kaitlyn Hickey (IUPUI) -- So., OH, 3.646, Math Teaching
Beth Howard (IUPUI) -- Jr., L/DS, 3.773, Health Sciences
Colleen King (Denver) -- Sr., RS, 3.67, Communications
Ann Miller (Western Illinois) -- Jr., OH, 3.909, Supply Chain Management
Hailie Ripley (Fort Wayne) -- So., MH, 3.95, Psychology
Megan Schmale (Omaha) -- So., MH, 4.0, Elementary Education
Kendal Wienkes (Fort Wayne) -- Jr., OH, 3.87, Communication Science & Disorders
