FULL COLLEGE SPORTS COMMUNICATORS RELEASE

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Four UNC Asheville volleyball student-athletes have earned Academic All-District® honors from College Sports Communicators, the organization announced Tuesday (Dec. 16).

Payton Rolfsen, Michelle Thao, Baylor Herlehy, and Albertine van der Goot represented UNC Asheville on this year’s All-District list. To qualify for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5, and appear in at least 90 percent of their team’s competitions or start in at least 66 percent.

Thao earned her second consecutive Academic All-District honor after being named to last year’s list. She was also named Big South Co-Libero of the Year, marking the first Libero of the Year honor in program history and the first on-the-court Big South major award for the program since 2000, when Kelly Budnik earned Freshman of the Year honors. UNC Asheville previously had Scholar Athlete of the Year recipients in 2023 (Ona Elkins) and 2021 (Grace Volk).

During the 2025 season, Thao played in all 30 matches and 110 sets, recording 523 digs (4.75 per set), 26 service aces, and an impressive .954 reception percentage across 585 receptions. She reached the 1,000-career-dig milestone on Oct. 17 and earned Big South Libero of the Week honors three times. Thao was also named to the Big South All-Tournament Team after helping lead the Bulldogs to their first Big South Conference Championship appearance since 2006.

Rolfsen led Asheville’s offense with 565 assists, averaging 5.28 per set. She finished second on the team with 27 service aces and totaled 18 blocks on the season. Her performance in the Big South Conference Tournament earned her All-Tournament Team honors.

In 22 matches, Herlehy recorded 137 kills and led the Bulldogs with 92 total blocks.

Van der Goot was named to the Big South All-Academic Team and earned Big South Honorable Mention recognition. She finished the season second on the team with 231 kills (2.12 per set) and ranked second in total blocks with 87.

About Women’s Athletics Presenting Partner First Bank

First Bank is the banking subsidiary of First Bancorp and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $12.1 billion. As a state-chartered community bank, First Bank operates 113 bank branches in North Carolina and South Carolina and a nationwide SBA platform. Since 1935, First Bank has taken a tailored approach to banking, combining best-in-class financial solutions, helpful local expertise, and technology to manage a home or business. First Bancorp’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FBNC.” Visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com. Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.

Championship Fund
 
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University Volleyball student-athletes Elli Barry, Marae Reilly and Bella Thompson were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team on Tuesday.
 
To be eligible, the student-athlete must maintain a 3.50 GPA, be at least a sophomore and have played in 90 percent of the team’s matches or started 66 percent of the contests.
 
Barry, a senior from Huntington, played in all 30 matches making 25 starts with 186 points, 162 kills and 41 blocks. Registering five contests with 10 or more kills, Barry recorded a season-high 13 in a win over UMES on September 12.
 
Reilly, a sophomore from Lakewood, Colorado, finished with the second-most blocks on the team at 61 while finishing third on the squad in points, 215.5, and kills, 168, playing in all 30 matches, including 29 starts. Reilly recorded a season-high 13 kills against Gardner-Webb on September 20.
 
Thompson, a senior from Mooresville, North Carolina, was one of just two players on the team to start all 30 matches this season as she led MU with 727 assists and registered 229 digs across 109 sets. The setter registered a season-high 50 assists against Gardner-Webb on September 20.
 
To donate to the Championship Fund for Marshall volleyball, please click HERE. All proceeds go directly to the Marshall volleyball team.
 
For all the latest information about Marshall volleyball, follow @HerdVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram.

To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS and Android.

 

—HerdZone.com—

KENT, Ohio – Kent State student-athletes Greta Bolognini, Adalynn Ginley, Mackenzie McGuire and Christina Vigil and have been named to the 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC).

The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. In order to be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore athletic status and either competed in 90% of the team’s games or started in at least 66% of games while maintaining a 3.50 or higher cumulative grade point average.

FOLLOW KENT STATE VOLLEYBALL

For complete coverage of Kent State Volleyball, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates.

Charlotte, NC (December 16, 2025) – Week Two of CIAA Indoor Track and Field continued to showcase high level performances as competition intensified across early season meets. The conference saw distance excellence and strong field event execution as athletes built momentum heading deeper into the indoor season. The CIAA recognizes two student athletes for their standout performances during the week. 

WOMEN’S TRACK ATHLETE OF THE WEEK 

Faith Kiplimo, Fayetteville State 

Sophomore distance runner Faith Kiplimo delivered a breakthrough performance at the JDL Early Bird Meet, recording a personal best time of 4:51.07. Her effort earned a second place finish overall while setting a new Fayetteville State school record. The mark also met the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying standard and currently ranks Kiplimo No. 1 in the Atlantic Region and No. 5 nationally in Division II. Her performance continues to establish Fayetteville State as a force in women’s distance events. 

WOMEN’S FIELD ATHLETE OF THE WEEK 

Sheree Wright, Fayetteville State 

Senior high jumper Sheree Wright opened her season with a strong and composed showing at the JDL Early Bird Meet. Wright cleared 1.57 meters (5-01.75) to earn a fourth place finish in a competitive field. Her consistency and execution highlighted an encouraging start to her indoor campaign and provided a solid foundation as the season progresses. 

Media Contact 

Anna M. Butzlaff 

Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications 

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) 

abutzlaff@theciaa.com 

About the CIAA 

Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the United States and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management for both 2018 and 2019. 

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. 

LA JOLLA, Calif. – Single game tickets for the 2026 UC San Diego men’s volleyball season are on sale now!
 
This season’s home slate features 14 matches – including six Big West contests – inside LionTree Arena.

Single match tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting UCSDTritons.com or by calling the Triton Box Office at (858) 534-1430.

Season tickets are also currently available and are $50 for adults and $40 for seniors, youth, and faculty/staff. You can purchase season tickets on the same page at UCSDTritons.com.

For additional information, contact the box office via email at triton-tix@ucsd.edu.

 

UC San Diego is looking to continue to rise among the Big West and the national rankings. The 2025 Tritons went 18-12 overall, the program’s most wins under head coach Brad Rostratter, who heads into his fourth season at the helm. UC San Diego was ranked as high as No. 10 in the country.

 

	2026 HOME SCHEDULE
Date	Opponent	Time
Jan. 6	Jessup	7pm
Jan. 9	Daemen	7pm
Jan. 11	Rockhurst	7pm
Jan. 23	UCLA	7pm
Feb. 11	CUI	7pm
Feb. 16	UC Merced	2pm
Feb. 27	Vanguard	7pm
March 3	CSUN (Big West)	7pm
March 9	Princeton	7pm
March 28	UC Irvine (Big West)	7pm
April 3	Long Beach State (Big West)	7pm
April 10	Hawai’i (Big West)	7pm
April 11	Hawai’i (Big West)	7pm
April 18	UC Santa Barbara (Big West)	7pm

* Schedule subject to change

A complete 2026 Triton men’s volleyball schedule is available by clicking here.

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About UC San Diego Athletics

After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.