SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – Mount Holyoke College student-athlete Sasha Simine has been selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District 1 Women's Volleyball First Team. With her selection, Simine is now eligible for National Academic All-America consideration.
Simine, a sophomore middle hitter from Kitchener, Ont., is one of 66 honorees across eight NCAA Division III districts to be selected to the First Team for All-District recognition. Additionally, she is one of just 11 sophomores to be selected, including the only second-year player in District 1 (which features players from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont).
An outstanding two-way player on the court, she led the Lyons in nearly every statistical category, boasting a team-best and career-high 208 kills (2.70 per set average) with just 47 errors on 491 total attempts. Her hitting percentage of .328 also led the squad and she was tops overall in blocks per set (1.04), total blocks (80), block solos (20), block assists (60), points (281.0) and points per set (3.6).
Simine led the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in blocks per set, despite having only played in 22 contests – second-place had appeared in 29 matches. She also ranked third in the conference in total blocks and hitting percentage, while finishing fourth overall in block solos.
Nationally, the former Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute standout still ranks among the best in Division III. Currently she is 32nd in blocks per set and 43rd overall in hitting percentage among the nation's top players.
The NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week on October 2, Simine's season was highlighted by a number of outstanding efforts. She opened the season with a career-high 16 kills and six total blocks in a 3-1 win against the University of Saint Joseph and went on to boast six kills, three digs, and seven total blocks (three solos) in a 3-0 victory against MCLA. Her 15 kills, five service aces and five blocks also helped lead the Lyons to a 3-2 victory over WPI, snapping MHC's 25-game losing streak in conference play.
Simine, who is a 21st Century Scholar recipient, owns a 4.00 cumulative grade point average as a biology major. Named to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team, she has been involved with a number of organizations on campus. In addition to serving as a teaching assistant for computer science, she also works as a Community Assistant in the Residence Halls at MHC. She has also volunteered with a STEM focused summer camp for aboriginal youth with the goal of teaching them what the field has to offer.
Overall, the Lyons team finished with a 10-12 record, earning the most wins for the program since the 2013 season. MHC also posted a 1-9 mark in conference play, snapping a 25-match drought in NEWMAC play with a victory at WPI.
