Four Huskers Earn Academic Honors

Lincoln ? Four members of the second-ranked Nebraska volleyball team were honored Thursday with their selections to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII Team. The four Huskers selected included a trio of first-team selections in Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling and Tracy Stalls, while Jordan Larson was tabbed a third-team selection.

It marks the third straight year that Pavan ? the reigning Academic All-American of the Year in all sports ? was selected for the first team and the second time for Houghtelling, a first-team Academic All-American in 2005. Stalls earned second-team honors in 2006, while the selection is the first time Larson has been honored. Pavan, Stalls and Houghtelling all advance to the ballot for Academic All-America honors which will be announced in early December.

Pavan, who carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry, is looking to become the second Husker volleyball player to be a three-time Academic All-American, joining Virginia Stahr (1987-89). Pavan leads the Big 12 in kills (4.91), aces (0.43) and points (5.76) per game while ranking among the conference leaders with a .342 hitting percentage. The 2006-07 Honda-Broderick Award winner, Pavan has five double-doubles and holds NU’s career record for kills with 1,873.

Houghtelling, who has a 3.91 GPA in elementary education, leads the Huskers in digs from her outside hitter position, averaging 3.97 digs per game. The 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year, Houghtelling also chips in 3.25 kills and 0.29 aces per game, while totaling eight double-doubles this year.

Stalls has been a force at the middle blocker position this season, averaging 2.68 kills and 1.12 blocks per game this season. She is hitting at a .447 clip, good for third nationally and is bidding to become the first Husker in nearly two decades to hit over .400 in consecutive seasons. Stalls, who has a 3.95 GPA in an individual program of studies, spent the summer with the U.S. National Team and earned second-team AVCA All-America honors in 2006.

Larson collects her first academic honor, as she has a 3.31 GPA in communication studies. A first-team AVCA All-American in 2006, Larson averages 3.50 kills and 3.46 digs per game this season, ranking among Big 12 leaders in kills (ninth), service aces (0.42, second) and points per game (4.30, ninth). The junior outside hitter leads NU with 10 double-doubles and already ranks ninth on NU’s career digs list with 962.

The Huskers are 23-1 overall and 14-1 in Big 12 action heading into Sunday’s match at Iowa State, set for 4 p.m. Fans can listen to the match across the state on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KHUS 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on the Internet at Huskers.com.

Volleyball Academic All-District VII Team (University Division)

FIRST TEAM

         

Sarah Pavan

NEBRASKA

Sr.

Kitchener, Ontario

4.00

Biochemistry

Abby Baumann

CREIGHTON

Sr.

North Platte, Neb.

3.96

Organizational Communications

Christina Houghtelling

NEBRASKA

Sr.

Cambridge, Neb.

3.91

Elementary Education

Tracy Stalls

NEBRASKA

Sr.

Denver, Colo.

3.95

Individualized Program of Studies

Kelsey Chipman

KANSAS STATE

So.

Topeka, Kan.

4.0

Life Science/Pre-Med

Alyssa Hampton

DENVER

Sr.

Parkville, Mo.

3.97

Economics/Finance and Marketing

SECOND TEAM

         

Whitney Behrens

SAINT LOUIS

So.

St. Louis, Mo.

3.99

Nutrition & Dietetics

Erin Boeve

IOWA STATE

Sr.

Steen, Minn.

3.31

Community and Public Health

Sara Lungren

WICHITA STATE

Sr.

Caldwell, Kan.

3.83

Elementary Education

Kim Kallabis

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY

Sr.

Camino, Calif.

3.68

Mathematics and Operations Research

Emily Hiza

IOWA

Jr.

Swink, Colo.

3.95

Pre-Business

Kim Muller

DENVER

Sr.

Ballwin, Mo.

3.84

Accounting

Amy Vos

IOWA STATE

Jr.

Burlington, Wis.

4.00

Dietetics

THIRD TEAM

         

Amy Anderson

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

Sr.

Huron, S.D.

3.56

Nursing

Angie Hellbaum

WYOMING

Sr.

Wheatland, Wyo.

3.62

Communications

Jordan Larson

NEBRASKA

Jr.

Hooper, Neb.

3.31

Communication Studies

Angie Lastra

KANSAS STATE

Sr.

Carolina, Puerto Rico

3.66

Life Science/Pre-Med

Emily Brown

KANSAS

Sr.

Baldwin City, Kan.

3.47

Health & Physical Education

Katie Martincich

KANSAS

So.

Shawnee, Kan.

3.96

Sport Management and Business Marketing

Savannah Noyes

KANSAS

Jr.

Indianola, Neb.

3.61

Community Health

Lauren Cummings

IOWA STATE

Sr.

Ankeny, Iowa

3.26

Marketing