The Portland State volleyball crew does not must be enjoying matches to nonetheless be setting information. Four Vikings earned Academic All-District honors Tuesday from the College Sports Communicators (CSC), probably the most honorees in a single 12 months in program historical past.
Reese Biesemeyer, Ava Blascziek, Tyra Schaub and Paige Stepaniuk all obtained the respect. It was the second such honor of Stepaniuk’s profession, whereas it is the primary for Biesemeyer, Blascziek and Schaub.
The Vikings had three honorees every in 1997 and 2023, however by no means greater than that. Portland State gamers have earned 11 Academic All-District honors since 2022, when the CSC went to a merit-based system fairly than a voter-based.
The Academic All-District honor acknowledges the nation’s high student-athletes for his or her mixed performances on the court docket and within the classroom. To qualify academically, a student-athlete should be a sophomore or older and have a minimum of a 3.50 cumulative GPA. Athletically, student-athletes should compete in 90 % of their establishment’s matches or have began a minimum of 66 % of matches.
Stepaniuk earned her second honor with a 3.97 GPA in criminology and felony justice. Athletically, Stepaniuk took a step up as a junior, averaging profession bests for digs (4.10) and aces (0.22) per set this previous season. She was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week three completely different instances through the season, together with after The Joust Tournament, Sept. 11-13, the place she was additionally named Tournament MVP.
Stepaniuk completed the 12 months ranked fourth within the Big Sky in digs per set. She reached 1,000 profession digs within the third set of the Vikings’ street match at Idaho State on Nov. 1. She additionally tied her profession excessive with 30 digs in a five-set win over Montana State on Oct. 16.
Biesemeyer earned her first Academic All-District honor behind a 3.67 GPA in public well being research: pre-clinical. On the court docket, Biesemeyer ranked tenth within the Big Sky with a .314 hitting share. She recorded one error or much less in 13 of the Vikings’ 16 Big Sky matches. That included the Vikings’ match in opposition to regular-season champion Northern Arizona on Nov. 8, when Biesemeyer set a profession excessive with 12 kills on .500 hitting.
Additionally, Biesemeyer joined Stepaniuk on the All-Tournament Team at The Joust Tournament, Sept. 11-13. Biesemeyer had six kills on .750 hitting to go together with 4 blocks within the Vikings’ 3-1 win over beforehand unbeaten New Mexico to open that match.
Blascziek carried a 4.0 GPA in psychology for her Academic All-District honor Tuesday. Blascziek ranked seventh within the Big Sky with 6.98 assists per set, whereas she ranked second on the crew with 12 double-doubles all year long. She set a profession excessive with 51 assists to go together with 10 digs within the Vikings’ reverse sweep of Idaho on Oct. 25. She reached 1,000-career assists within the earlier match, reaching the milestone within the third set in opposition to Eastern Washington.
Schaub additionally carries a 4.0 GPA in Business Administration: Marketing in incomes her Academic All-District honor. She had a breakout 12 months athletically, averaging profession bests for kills (2.74), digs (2.42) and aces (0.25) per set whereas hitting a career-best .194. She recorded 9 double-doubles all through the season, together with a profession efficiency on Senior Night in opposition to Northern Arizona on Nov. 8. Schaub led the Vikings with 19 kills on .209 hitting in opposition to the Lumberjacks to go together with a career-high 20 digs. She had one other robust match within the Vikings’ five-set win over Montana State on Oct. 16, when she set then-career highs for kills (20), digs (18), aces (4) and factors (24.5).