Three GNAC Student-Athletes Named CoSIDA Women's Volleyball Academic All-District®

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COSIDA RELEASE

Anna Maria College senior Rebecca Foti (Bedford, N.H.), Johnson & Wales University (RI) sophomore Kate Walker (Oakland, Calif.) and Saint Joseph's College senior middle blocker Jordynne Copp (Cumberland, Maine) have earned College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) All-District® honors.

The CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their excellence both on the field and in the classroom. The District Team selections are divided into eight geographic districts and further delineated by NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

Foti recorded 263 kills, averaging 3.09 kills per set and scored 3.7 points per set on the year. Foti led the team in all of these categories. She appeared in all 26 contests and all 85 sets on the season for AMC. In the classroom, Rebecca is thriving with a 3.95 GPA. She will graduate in the Spring with a double major in Art Therapy and Psychology.

Walker is the first member of the JWU women's volleyball team to earn the honor. With her spot on the All-District Team, she is now eligible for Academic All-America consideration. Majoring in clinical psychology, Walker has a perfect 4.0 grade point average. At last week's NCAA Volleyball Championships, Walker was one of three student-athletes to tie for the Elite 90 award, which is given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the final site. She also earned the school's first AVCA First-Team All-America honor after collecting the first AVCA New England Region Player of the Year award.

For the second year in a row, Walker has led the NCAA in hitting percentage. She reset her own school record with a rate of .472 and is now the JWU career leader at .454 percent. Walker led the GNAC and was among the national leaders at 0.88 blocks per set while averaging 2.70 kills per set. Johnson & Wales made history by winning the NCAA Regional championship for the first time and advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals. JWU returns all of its starters next year off a team that went 35-1.

Copp is the first player in Saint Joseph's College volleyball program history to earn the high academic honor and the 11th SJC athlete to collect CoSIDA accolades since 2009. A Nursing major at Saint Joseph's, Copp is a member of the Sigma Theta tau international Honors Society, the Nursing National Honors Society, and the Student Nurses Association. She is on her way to earning her third Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Academic Team honor and has been listed on the Dean's List all six semesters at Saint Joseph's.

Copp, a two-year team captain, claims the honor after tallying 273 kills, 102 digs, and 69 total blocks with a .278 hitting percentage during her senior campaign. She established career-highs in kills, kills per set (2.37), attempts (723), aces (20), block solos (44), points (349.5), and points per set (3.03) this fall. In 120 career matches (430 sets), Copp recorded 664 kills in 1,869 attempts with a .242 attack percentage, 271 digs, 238 total blocks (129 solos, 109 assists), and 887.5 points. She completed her collegiate career ranked second in team history in sets played and third in blocks, solo blocks, block assists, blocks per set (0.6), and attack percentage and fourth in kills.

First team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

Courtesy of Anna Maria, JWU, SJC Athletics Communications.