Nov. 6, 2008
University Park, Pa. - Penn State women's volleyball senior middle hitter Christa Harmotto (Aliquippa, Pa.) and junior outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) have been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced. They are two of six student-athletes named to the first team in District II and both are now eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors.
It is the second career ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honor for Harmotto, who was also selected as an ESPN The Magazine Third Team Academic All-American a year ago. It is the first award of its kind for Hodge and both were also Academic All-Big Ten honorees last season.
Harmotto currently holds a 3.47 grade point average in Elementary Education while leading the team and the nation in hitting percentage (.526) while averaging 2.61 kills per game. The middle hitter also ranks first on the squad and fourth in the country with 1.50 blocks per game, leading the team in stuffs in 13 matches. A 2007 AVCA First Team All-American and NCAA Championship All-Tournament team member, Harmotto has helped the defending national champion Lions to a perfect 25-0 record so far this season. Earlier this season Harmotto became only the fifth Penn State player in history to record more than 1,000 career kills and 500 career blocks and she currently sits 17th all-time with 1,157 career kills and fourth all-time with 624 career blocks.
Hodge has earned a 3.39 grade point average in management while ranking second on the team with 3.82 kills per game on .319 hitting while also adding in 17 service aces and 155 digs for a total of 2.09 digs per game. A 2007 AVCA First Team All-American and the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, Hodge has led the team in kills 12 times and has provided the top mark in digs on six occasions. She averaged 4.00 kills per game on .412 hitting with 18 digs against Minnesota and Iowa (10/31-11/1) and currently ranks ninth all-time with 1,395 career kills.
Harmotto and Hodge are two of 10 Big Ten student-athletes honored by CoSIDA and ESPN The Magazine. Michigan's Beth Karpiak and Ohio State's Chelsea Noble were named Second Team All-District 4 while Purdue's Kristen Arthurs earned First Team All-District 5 while Boilermakers Stephanie Lynch and Danita Merlau and Illinois' Johannah Bangert were named Second Team All-District 5. Iowa's Emily Hiza earned First Team All-District 7 accolades while her teammate Kiley Fister was tabbed a Third Team Academic All-District 7 honoree.
To be nominated for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), and must be a sophomore in both athletic and academic standing. All First Team Academic All-District honorees from each of the eight districts advance to the national ballot and are eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors.
Penn State heads to Michigan State for a 6:30 p.m. contest on Friday, Nov. 7.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2008 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.