Nov. 20, 2001

Manhattan, Kan. - The 19th-ranked Kansas State women's volleyball team placed the second-most selections of any league school on the Academic All-Big 12 first team on Monday, as seven Wildcat players were named to the conference's academic team. Only Nebraska's eight honorees surpassed K-State's seven selections on the first team.

Seniors Jayne Christen, Lisa Mimick and Liz Wegner were joined by junior Jenny Pollard and sophomores Lauren Goehring, Cari Jensen and Kris Jensen on the 42-member first team. In all, 53 players earned recognition to the first and second teams.

This is Christen and Wegner's second academic award of the season. They were both named to the Verizon Academic All-District VII second team earlier this month.

"This is a tremendous honor for these seven players," said head coach Suzie Fritz. "We talk about excellence both on the court and in the classroom and these players certainly exemplify this characteristic. Not a lot of people understand how difficult it is to be a student-athlete at the Division I level. They have to balance their course work with both practice, matches and travel. To have seven players earn this award says a lot not only about the players, but about the program and the university."

Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, first-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.2 or better grade point average, while the second team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are eligible.