DBU’s Leah Palensky was named the 2022 Lone Star Conference Volleyball Academic Player of the Year as the conference released the league’s academic awards on Wednesday.
Palensky highlighted a group of 14 standout student-athletes recognized for their work in the classroom and on the court. A libero/defensive specialist from Omaha, Neb., Palensky is the first Lady Patriot to claim the league’s top academic honor with a nearly perfect GPA as a psychology major. The senior leads DBU with 3.41 digs per set this season.
Lubbock Christian led the selections with four All-Academic honorees, while UT Tyler and West Texas A&M each added two honorees. Cameron, DBU, St. Edward's, St. Mary's, Texas A&M International, and Western New Mexico each had one honoree.
Joining Palensky was CU’s Arianna Navarrete; LCU’s Sage Chain, Kayton Genenbacher, Kiana Fallaha, and Zoe Parker; SEU’s Maya Smalls; StMU’s Alicia Virthe; TAMIU’s Mackenzie Catalina; UTT’s Adeline Ortman and Mikayla Ware; WT’s Torrey Miller and Emma Patterson; and WNMU’s Zoë Chatterton.
Navarrete and Catalina were named to the squad for the third year.
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 their team’s contests, reached sophomore athletic and academic standing, 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 their entire collegiate career.
2022 LSC VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS
| Player |
Team |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Major |
Hometown |
| Arianna Navarrete |
Cameron |
Sr. |
OH |
Psychology |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Leah Palensky |
DBU |
Sr. |
L/DS |
Psychology |
Omaha, Neb. |
| Sage Chain |
Lubbock Christian |
Sr. |
MB |
Animal Science |
Schertz, Texas |
| Kayton Genenbacher |
Lubbock Christian |
So. |
S |
Biology |
Lubbock, Texas |
| Kiana Fallaha |
Lubbock Christian |
So. |
OH |
Exercise Science |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Zoe Parker |
Lubbock Christian |
Jr. |
DS |
Biochemistry |
Amarillo, Texas |
| Maya Smalls |
St. Edward's |
Sr. |
RS |
Criminal Justice |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Alicia Virthe |
St. Mary's |
So. |
OPP |
Psychology |
Orlando, Fla. |
| Mackenzie Catalina |
Texas A&M International |
Grad. |
OH |
MBA |
Cedar Park, Texas |
| Adeline Ortman |
UT Tyler |
So. |
S |
Management |
Rhome, Texas |
| Mikayla Ware |
UT Tyler |
Sr. |
OH |
Criminal Justice |
San Antonio, Texas |
| Torrey Miller |
West Texas A&M |
Jr. |
OH |
Biology |
Brownwood, Texas |
| Emma Patterson |
West Texas A&M |
So. |
DS |
Psychology |
Amarillo, Texas |
| Zoë Chatterton |
Western New Mexico |
Sr. |
MB |
Sociology |
Troutdale, Ore. |
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Academic Player of the Year: Leah Palensky, DBU