OSU Sets Pac-12 Record with 12 Tabbed All-Academic
November 25, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Building upon a trend of academic success that has persisted over the past decade, the Oregon State volleyball team had a Pac-12 record 12 athletes named all-academic, the league and conference commissioner Larry Scott announced on Wednesday.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Haley Clarke was a first-team selection while senior defensive specialist/libero Darby Reeder was tabbed to the second team to highlight the Beavers' 12 honorees.
“I'm very proud of all of the Pac-12 All-Academic selections,” Oregon State head coach Taras Liskevych said. “One of the pillars of our program is really having your sights set on academics. I can't speak highly enough of all 12 players that made the all-academic teams. Certainly, for Haley to make the first team is a great honor – she's had a great year for us. Darby making the second team is also a great honor. I think that this is a very proud moment for our program.”
In order to be eligible for a Pac-12 All-Academic selection, a student-athlete must be in at least her second academic year at her current institution and have a grade-point average of at least 3.0 and participation in at least 50 percent of a team's matches, unless limited by injury or illness.
In addition to Clarke and Reeder earning their respective first and second-team selections, Oregon State had 10 athletes tabbed honorable mentions, including Dana Backlund, Rachel Buehner, Kory Cheshire, Katelyn Driscoll, Sydney Francis, Maddy Gravley, McKenna Hollingsworth, Mary-Kate Marshall, Lanesha Reagan and Lila Toner.
Washington had the next-highest 2015 total with nine selections, while Arizona State and Stanford each have seven selections. Colorado had five, while each of the remaining seven Pac-12 schools had four or fewer.
Oregon State breaks its own record of 10 Pac-12 All-Academic selections set in 2011. Four Pac-12 schools have had nine in a single season, including the Beavers in 2002, 2012 and 2014.
Since Liskevych and associate head coach Mark Barnard arrived in Corvallis in 2005, Oregon State has led the Pac-12 in all-academic selections, now with 85 selections over that span to lead the conference by 14 (Stanford – 71).
Over the same stretch, Oregon State has the most first-team selections (15) and is tied with Stanford and Washington for the most second-team selections (10), while leading the Pac-12 with 60 honorable mentions.
“We are proud to have led the Pac-12 in all-academic selections in the 11 years that Mark and I have been here,” Liskevych said. “My goals in coaching in college are mentoring young people, making them high-functioning adults, making sure they graduate and do well in school and making them great volleyball players as they advance in their careers. It's a great day for the Beavers.”
The Oregon State volleyball team wraps up its home slate on Wednesday night with a 7 p.m. PT Senior Night match against the 23rd-ranked Arizona Wildcats at Gill Coliseum. The Beavers close their 2015 campaign with an 8 p.m. PT match on Friday at Oregon as part of the Civil War series, presented by PacificSource Health Plans, McDonalds, Spirit Mountain Casino and Your Local Ford Stores.
For more information on the Oregon State volleyball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/BeavsVolleyball, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateVolleyball or on Instagram at Instagram.com/OregonStateVolleyball.
Oregon State Pac-12 All-Academic Selections
First Team
Haley Clarke - RSr. - 3.70 - Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program: Speech
Communication/Exercise & Sport Science
Second Team
Darby Reeder - Sr. - 3.63 - Agricultural Business Management/Sustainability (Resource Economics minor)
Honorable Mention
Dana Backlund - RJr. - 3.45 - Exercise & Sport Science
Rachel Buehner - Jr. - 3.51 - Exercise & Sport Science
Kory Cheshire - RFr. - 3.37 - Psychology/Sociology
Katelyn Driscoll - RJr. - 3.2 - Pre-Communication (Business & Entrepreneurship minor)
Sydney Francis - Jr. - 3.51 - Pre-Communication
Maddy Gravley - RFr. - 3.26 - Pre-Bioengineering
McKenna Hollingsworth - RFr. - 3.21 - Pre-Business
Mary-Kate Marshall - So. - 3.52 - Exercise & Sport Science
Lanesha Reagan - RFr. - 3.6 - English (Writing minor)
Lila Toner - Jr. - 3.05 - Psychology/Human Development & Family Science
