Nov. 5, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the second straight season, South Carolina libero Sarah Cline earned a spot on the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III First Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced today.

Cline, a Rock Hill, S.C., senior, leads the Gamecocks and ranks second in the SEC with a 4.59 digs average. The team captain has already broken the rally-scoring era digs mark with 404 on the season, while she’s jumped from 11th to second on South Carolina’s all-time digs list.

The senior picks up a CoSIDA honor for the third consecutive year, following last year’s first-team spot and a third-team mention in 2007. The exercise science major advances to the national ballot for the second time.

Cline is the only Southeastern Conference student-athlete to make the District III squads, which covers Florida, Georgia, Virginia and the Carolinas. Duke, Florida State and Miami both had two honorees to lead the district, with the Blue Devils and Seminoles both placing one player each on the first and second team.

To be nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-District, individuals must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for their career and have reached sophomore standing in both athletics and academics. All student-athletes selected for the first team in their district move onto the national ballot, with those selections announced on Mon., Nov. 23.

2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III Teams
University Division

First Team
Brianna Barry, Sr., Florida State
Heather Brooks, Sr., North Carolina
Sarah Cline, Sr., South Carolina
Lauren Dickson, Sr., Virginia
Nichole Diller, Sr., Charleston Southern
Rachael Moss, Sr., Duke
Jill Nyhof, Sr., Coastal Carolina

Second Team
Maria Andersson, Jr., Miami
Lane Carico, So., Miami
Sophia Dunworth, So., Duke
Sarah Schermerhorn, Jr., Elon
Taylor Wilson, Jr., Florida State