The Lone Star Conference recognized 14 student-athletes for their academic achievements Wednesday evening when league officials announced the volleyball academic awards at the LSC Championship banquet.
Eastern New Mexico’s Courtney Lawson, a senior psychology major from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, headlined the team as the LSC Academic Player of the Year.
LSC Champion Angelo State led the selections with three All-Academic honorees. ENMU, West Texas A&M and Western New Mexico each added two honorees, while Midwestern State, Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Commerce, Texas A&M-Kingsville and UT Permian Basin each had one selection.
The All-Academic team is selected by the league’s sports information directors, who select players based on both athletic and academic achievement. To be eligible for LSC academic honors, student-athletes must have played in at least 50 percent of team’s contests, reached sophomore athletic and academic standing (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible), completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution, and have a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade point average based on the 4.0 system for his/her entire collegiate career.
Joining Lawson on the All-Academic team was Greyhounds teammate Alexis Aguirre; A&M-C’s Jaslyn Wacker; WT’s Lauren Britten and Libby Strickland; WNMU’s Kelli McGhiey and Shannon Rich; UTPB’s Jordan McDonald; ASU’s Brianna Sotello, Abbie Lynn and Morgan Seaton; MSU’s Kiley Beaver; TSU’s Adrianna Knutson; and TAMUK’s Casey Klobedans.
Lawson and Britten were named to the squad for the third year, while Lynn and Sotello were repeat selections.
2016 LSC VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
| Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Courtney Lawson |
Eastern New Mexico |
Sr. |
OH |
Psychology |
Rio Rancho, NM |
| Jaslyn Wacker |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
So. |
MB |
Accounting |
Austin, Texas |
| Lauren Britten |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
Libero |
Business Management |
Amarillo, Texas |
| Kelli McGhiey |
Western New Mexico |
Jr. |
OH |
Accounting |
Pearl City, Hawaii |
| Alexis Aguirre |
Eastern New Mexico |
Jr. |
S |
Biology |
Artesia, NM |
| Jordan McDonald |
UT Permian Basin |
Sr. |
DS |
Biochemistry |
Orlando, Fla. |
| Libby Strickland |
West Texas A&M |
Sr. |
OH |
Health Sciences |
Amarillo, Texas |
| Brianna Sotello |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
OH |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Kiley Beaver |
Midwestern State |
So. |
MB |
Marketing |
Wichita Falls, Texas |
| Adrianna Knutson |
Tarleton State |
So. |
Libero |
Kinesiology |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Casey Klobedans |
Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Jr. |
S |
Finance |
Boerne, Texas |
| Abbie Lynn |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
RS |
Exercise Science |
Amarillo, Texas |
| Shannon Rich |
Western New Mexico |
Sr. |
MB |
Business Administration |
Folsom, Calif. |
| Morgan Seaton |
Angelo State |
Jr. |
MB |
Exercise Science |
Big Spring, Texas |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Player of the Year: Courtney Lawson, Eastern New Mexico