Stephens Earns Academic Award; Schwada HM All-NWC

Tracy Schwada

Randi Stephens

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Whitworth's Tracy Schwada and Randy Stephens have earned year-end honors following the 2009 volleyball season. Schwada is an honorable mention All-Northwest Conference honoree, while Stephens has been selected to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District 2009-10 Women's Volleyball College Division Team as a third-team honoree.

The Pirates concluded the 2009 season with a 10-17 overall record and a 6-10 record in the NWC, bouncing back from an 0-5 start to conference play.

Schwada (Sr., RS, Whitefish, Mont.) was one of the most accurate hitters in the NWC during the 16-match conference schedule. She finished with a .270 hitting percentage in league matches, which ranked seventh in the NWC. Over the course of the entire season Schwada hit .235 and averaged 1.61 kills and 0.54 blocks per set. The All-NWC team is voted on by conference coaches.

Click here for the entire 2009 All-NWC Volleyball Team.

Stephens (Jr., MB, Bozeman, Mont.) was recognized for her combination of excellence in the classroom and on the court. She has a 3.85 grade point average as a mathematics major. Stephens was also one of the leading blockers in the conference this season. Over the course of the entire schedule she averaged 1.09 blocks per set, and in NWC-only matches she led the league with a 1.18 average.

The Academic All-District teams are selected from NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players throughout the western United States. The players are nominated and selected by members of CoSIDA. To be eligible for nomination, a player must be a starter or important reserve with a 3.30 cumulative grade point average and of sophomore standing.