14 December 1998                                                 CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206
 

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Illinois Wesleyan University senior LeAnn Genzel has been elected to the first team of the GTE College Division Academic All-America® volleyball team.
 Genzel, a Paxton-Buckley-Loda High School product, has a 4.0 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) as a public accounting major. She was named to the second team of the Academic All-America volleyball team in 1997, is a three-time District Five all-academic team member, and is also a three-time fall sports honoree on the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin all-academic squad.
  Academically, she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, a national scholastic honorary; Alpha Lambda Delta, national scholastic honorary for freshman women; Alpha Mu Gamma, national foreign language honorary; is a Shirk Scholarship Fund recipient, and earned the Central Illinois Chapter of Institute of Management Accountants “Outstanding Junior Award.”
 A 6-foot middle hitter, Genzel was a first team all-CCIW choice this fall after being on the second team in 1997 and honorable mention in 1996. She played for teams this fall and in 1997 that qualified for the NCAA tournament.
 An all-Midwest region player for the past two seasons, Genzel ended her career as IWU’s all-time leader in blocks (589) and service aces (234) and ranks seventh in kills (1,169) and fifth in digs (1,028). She set school single-season marks for blocks and service aces in 1996.
 For the 21-17 Titans this year, Genzel was second on the team with 156 blocks, third in kills with 400, fifth with 284 digs, and sixth in service aces with 25. She finished second in the final 1998 CCIW statistics with 1.03 blocks per game and was seventh in kills with 2.9 per game.
 Her selection brings to 93 the total number of Academic All-America berths earned by IWU student-athletes since the program began in 1970. Only Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Bucknell have more total Academic All-Americans than Illinois Wesleyan.
 To be considered for the GTE Academic All-America squads, players must be of at least sophomore standing, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 (of 4.0), and be a starter or first-line reserve. The teams are chosen by a voting board representing the 1,800 members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
 Of the 18 women chosen to fill the three Academic All-America volleyball teams, eight athletes had perfect 4.0 grade-point averages, including Genzel, while seven more had GPAs better than 3.89. Senior Stephanie Rickards of Moravian College was chosen as the GTE “Academic All-American of the Year.”
 
 

FIRST TEAM
Melinda Almazan, Regis, senior, 3.91, business
LeAnn Genzel, Illinois Wesleyan, senior, 4.0, public accounting
Chandra Barkes, Anderson, senior, 4.0, biology (pre-med)
Carrie Lyons, Muskingum, senior, 3.934, English
Lynn Olsen, Wisconsin-Whitewater, junior, 4.0, accounting
Stephanie Rickards, Moravian, senior, 4.0, secondary education

SECOND TEAM
Kim Arndt, Wisconsin-Eau Claire, junior, 4.0, biology education
Jennifer Martz, Washington U., senior, 3.43, finance/marketing/international business
Mandy Pinkerton, Midwestern State, senior, 4.0, biology
Marci Sanders, Angelo State, senior, 3.963, kinesiology
Jessica Svatek, Rochester, senior, 3.94, biomedical engineering
Kari Wanat, Florida Tech, junior, 4.0, molecular biology

THIRD TEAM
Carrie Banaszak, Washington & Jefferson, senior, 3.92, psychology
Kim Brummer, Nebraska-Kearney, junior, 3.98, elementary education
Sarah Butler, West Texas A & M, junior, 3.323. kinesiology
Rachel Price, North Alabama, junior, 4.0, physics and chemistry
Dawn Reinhardt, Wittenberg, senior, 3.655, political science
Robyn Ruschmeier, St. Benedict, senior, 3.89, music (choral/instrumental)