McLean Earns CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors

Michigan State junior Samantha McLean (Grand Rapids, Mich.) has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Google Cloud Academic All-District Team, as announced on Thursday.

Perhaps the most competitive single-sport team in the CoSIDA Academic All-America program, McLean was one of 14 athletes chosen from nearly 100 nominations in District V, which encompasses the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. She is also one of just three non-seniors to make one of the two teams in District V, and the only one to make the first team.

McLean is a Kinesiology/ Pre-Med major. In addition to maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, and is one of just two players to appear in every set for the Spartans this season. She is MSU's primary DS, and averages 1.90 digs per set, while adding 15 service aces, one of seven MSU players to post double-digit ace totals this season.

An Academic All-Big Ten and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honoree as a sophomore, McLean is also active in community activites, serving on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. She was the team's "Most Inspirational Award" winner in 2017 after having her sophomore season cut short in a moped accident; she was able to return to the court in the spring with full clearance and was able to prepare for her junior year, where she plays an integral role on a young team featuring just three upperclassmen.

McLean is the 14^th volleyball student-athlete in program history to earn All-District honors. She follows Becky Belanger (1990), Val Sterk (1994, 1995), Dana Cooke (1995, 1996), Julie Pavlus (1996), Jessica Sanborn (1999), Sarah Gustin (2000), Erin Hartley (2001), Michelle Kopka (2003), Ashley Schatzle (2006), Miken Trogdon (2006), Jenilee Rathje (2010, 2011), Kristen Kelsay (2013), and Rachel Minarick (2016, 2017).

The junior and all other first-team honorees from all eight districts will now advance to the Google Cloud Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-America honorees will be announced in early December.

Name School Yr.     GPA            Major
Kayla Gwozdz University of Akron Sr.     3.99            Social Work
Erica Haslag Bradley University Sr.     3.91            Actuarial Science
Allison Ketcham Valparaiso University Sr.     3.99            Exercise Science / Psychology
Ali Line Illinois State University Sr.     4.00            Nursing
Samantha McLean Michigan State University Jr.      4.00            Kinesiology / Pre-Med
Jordyn Poulter University of Illinois Sr.     3.48            Media & Cinema Studies
Carly Skjodt University of Michigan Sr.     3.52            Sport Management

SECOND TEAM
Name School Yr.     GPA            Major
Madeleine Abbott University of Michigan Sr.     3.86            English
Kate Avila Ball State University Jr.      3.98            Speech Language Pathology
Ali Bastianelli University of Illinois Sr.     3.56            Community Health
Rylee Cookerly Valparaiso University So.    3.94            Nursing
Ryann DeJarld University of Notre Dame Sr.     3.57            Management Consulting
Jenna Lerg University of Michigan Sr.     3.52            Biopsychology, Cognition & Neuroscience
Jordan Thompson University of Cincinnati Sr.     3.61            Criminal Justice

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