Alder Named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Second Team

Nov. 8, 2006

GREELEY, Colo. - University of Northern Colorado senior middle blocker Meredith Alder was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Women's Volleyball University Division District VII second team, selected by CoSIDA and announced Thursday by coordinating officials.

Alder, who has a 3.86 GPA in audiology/speech language, has played in all 25 of the Bears matches this season and is averaging 2.46 kills, 1.00 digs and 0.76 blocks/game while hitting a team-high .241. She had a career-high 17 kills earlier this season in a match at Northern Arizona as well as a career-high nine blocks in a win over Montana State.

Alder, a Division I Independent All-Academic selection in 2005, is the third Northern Colorado student-athlete honored by ESPN The Magazine and CoSIDA this season. Football player Matt Thomas and soccer player Marika Johnson were also both second-team selections.

Alder was one of 20 players selected from District VII and scattered over three teams. District VII includes schools in the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Selections are open to student-athletes who have reached sophomore academic standing and carry at least a 3.20 G.P.A. The University Division includes all Division I schools.

The academic all-district team honors student-athletes who excel both on the playing field and in the classroom. The awards are sponsored by and voted on by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).