UST’s Foley, UWP’s Kirchner, UNW’s Stoltz, EC’s Wilks named First Team Academic All-America

Six Division III women’s volleyball players are named Capital One/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic First Team All-America. The Central and Midwest regions are home to four of this year’s First Team honorees.

Central/Midwest Region First Team Academic All-Americans • St. Thomas junior middle Kelly Foley is a business and financial management double major with a 3.82 grade point average. On the court Foley is the reigning two-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, a two-time All-American and the 2011 American Volleyball Coaches Association National Freshman of the Year.

• Wisconsin-Platteville senior middle Stephanie Kirchner is an  industrial engineering major with a 3.97 GPA. On the court Kirchner is a three-time member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team. She also became the third Pioneer to reach 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.

• Northwestern senior setter Krista Stoltz is an elementary education major with a 3.95 GPA. On the court Stoltz was the 2013 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a 2012 AVCA Second Team All-American while amassing more than 4,300 career assists and leading her teams to four NCAA tournament appearances.

• Elmhurst senior middle Kaitlyn Wilks is an elementary education and psychology double major with a 3.96 GPA. On the court Wilks is a two-time AVCA All-American who helped lead her teams to two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin titles and three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

Central/Midwest Region Third Team Academic All-American• North Park senior outside Shelby Switzer is a biology major with a 3.93 GPA. On the court Switzer is a four-time All-CCIW selection who set the NPU record with 1,736 career kills and became the second Viking to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs (1,327).

From the release: 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.

-Ricky Nelson