Nov. 5, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State women's volleyball senior outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) has been named ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District II, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced. She is one of seven student-athletes named to the first team in District II and is now eligible for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Honors.
This is the second ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honor of Hodge's career. She earned First Team Academic All-District honors last season and was also selected as an ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-American. Hodge is also a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Hodge is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in business management and holds a 3.45 grade point average. She leads the Nittany Lions with 355 kills (4.80 kills per set) so far this season and is second on the team with 188 digs (2.54 digs per set). Hodge leads the Big Ten in kills per set, which ranks fourth in the nation, and points per set (5.24). Her .439 attack percentage is good enough for fifth in the country. The outside hitter has led Penn State in kills 19 times this season, tallying double-digits in 21 matches. A three-time AVCA First Team All-American and two-time NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, Hodge most recently led the team with 19 kills in a 3-0 sweep of nationally-ranked Minnesota on Oct. 30. She ranks third all-time on Penn State's career list with 1,937 kills.
Hodge is one of eight Big Ten student-athletes honored by CoSIDA and ESPN The Magazine. Michigan's Lexi Zimmerman was named First Team All-District 4, while her teammate Juliana Paz was named to the second team. Ohio State's Chelsea Noble earned Third Team All-District 4 honors. Illinois had three players earn Academic All-District 5 honors, including Laura DeBruler and Johannah Bangert, who earned first team accolades, and Hilary Haen who was selected to the second team. Purdue's Kristen Arthurs rounds out the Big Ten honorees joining DeBruler and Bangert as a First Team All-District 5 selection.
To be nominated for ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District consideration, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative gpa. The nominated athlete must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games and must be of sophomore 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.
The top-ranked Nittany Lions travel to Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 6 for a 7 p.m. (CT) meeting with the Badgers.
For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.