Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Junior Adrianna Stasiuk is looking to become the fourth Academic All-American in Irish volleyball history

Adrianna Stasiuk is a First-Team Academic All-District member; Justine Stremick is a Third-Team Academic All-District selection

Nov. 9, 2006

Notre Dame junior Adrianna Stasiuk (Park Ridge, Ill./Park Ridge) was one of seven players named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 Volleyball First Team, it was announced this week by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). She will move on to the Academic All-America ballot. This is the second time that Stasiuk has been selected to an All-District 5 Volleyball team, as she was a second-team selection last season. Sophomore middle blocker Justine Stremick (Langdon, N.D./Langdon Area) was a third-team honoree, as Notre Dame placed a pair on the All-District 5 Volleyball Team for the second consecutive season.

Stasiuk, who carries a 3.74 cumulative grade-point average as an accounting major, was joined on the first team by Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne's Claire Jackson, Northwestern's Stephanie Jurivich, Indiana's Sara Diehl, Wisconsin-Green Bay's Sarah Rauen and Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Cheryl Hegemann and Betty Slinger. District 5 was the only group to have more than six members on the first team. This group - along with the first-team honorees from each of the other seven districts - will be featured on the 49-player ballot for Academic All-America.

CoSIDA's district 5 includes schools in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario. The team was voted on by members of CoSIDA from District 5. CoSIDA members from across the country will vote for the Academic All-American team, which will be released Nov. 28.

Stasiuk, a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star, is a member of Notre Dame's Academic Honors Program for Student-Athletes. She is also one of the best all-around players in the conference, as she is among the conference leaders in kills, digs and service aces. She currently leads the team in service aces (27) and points (292.5), while ranking second on the team in kills (231) and digs (253). She was tabbed the BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Week on Sept. 25 and has garnered BIG EAST honor roll nominations on three occasions throughout the 2006 season.

The junior is aiming to be the fourth CoSIDA Academic All-American in Notre Dame's program history. Jessica Fiebelkorn was a second-team selection in 1992, Jaimie Lee earned second-team accolades in '97 and Lauren Brewster was a second-team member in 2005.

Stremick boasts a cumulative 3.68 grade-point average as a science pre-professional major. The sophomore has been the anchor of the Irish front line for most of the season and currently leads the team in blocks (122), solo blocks (20) and hitting percentage (.329). Stremick's .393 hitting percentage in conference matches is fourth in the league.

Stasiuk and Stremick will lead the Irish into the final weekend of conference play this weekend. Notre Dame (15-10, 9-3 BIG EAST) begins the weekend with a crucial match against Pittsburgh (20-8, 8-4 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. at the Joyce Center before playing host to West Virginia (2-27, 1-11 BIG EAST) on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.