SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College volleyball team placed the maximum allowable number of four student-athletes on the CSC Academic Division III All-District Team, announced last week by College Sports Communicators (formerly known as CoSIDA), with sophomore Madeline Barton, junior Lucie Berclaz, sophomore Sadie Duffrin, and sophomore Elle Rimando all earning the honor.
The 2023 Academic All-District Women's Volleyball Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The award is given to athletes who in addition to being impactful on their respective team, have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50, and have achieved second year status at their academic institution.
Barton (Brookfield, Wis.) led Mount Holyoke's attack for the second straight year, increasing her kills per set average from 2.45 to 3.50, third highest in the NEWMAC. Barton's digs average also rose from 2.55 to 3.19. The psychology major was named NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11.
Berclaz (Hull, Mass.), the Lyons' team captain, is a biochemistry major and the heart of the team. After a successful sophomore campaign as the team's libero in 2022, Berclaz made the rare move to outside hitter to better suit the team's needs, and responded with an impressive season, ranking second on the team with 2.02 kills per set and third on the team with 3.50 digs per set.
Duffrin (Minneapolis, Minn.), an architectural studies major, served as the Lyons' all-important setter in every set of the 2023 season, all while raising her per-set averages from 2022 in assists (from 5.52 to 7.72), kills (0.27 to 0.49), aces (0.43 to 0.60), digs (1.63 to 2.03) and blocks (0.16 to 0.18). Duffrin ranked sixth in the NEWMAC in assists per set and third in aces per set.
Rimando (Mililani, Hawaii), also an architectural studies major at Mount Holyoke, posted another impressive campaign at middle hitter, averaging 1.98 kills per set with a team-high .259 attack percentage that ranked 10th in the NEWMAC. Rimando led the Lyons in blocks per set (0.45) and was second on the team in points per set (2.6).
College Sports Communicators educates, advocates, and communicates with and for the intercollegiate athletics communications community. It is our mission to engage and empower members, develop exceptional leaders, and promote and enhance our profession. College Sports Communicators is the proud provider of the Academic All-America® program since 1952. Visit AcademicAllAmerica.com to learn more.
