Sundararaman Selected Academic All-America

TOWSON, Md. - University of Miami senior setter Nrithya Sundararaman has been selected to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Volleyball Second Team, as announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America. The neurobiology major becomes the first player in program history to earn the prestigious honor.

"Nrithya certainly is a great representative of student-athletes," head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. "She is someone who has done an incredible job to balance the demands of the highest level of Division I volleyball along with all the challenges of being a student here at the University of Miami, which is an extremely competitive academic institution."

Sundararaman maintains a 3.90 GPA in the classroom and plans to attend medical school in hopes of becoming a doctor after graduation. She is one of just 18 student-athletes from across the country to be named Academic All-America, which is split into three teams of six.

On the court, the setter finished her career third in program history with 2,358 assists in 93 matches. Sundararaman started 30 contests this season and led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 10.72 assists per set. Earning honorable mention AVCA All-America, All-ACC and AVCA All-Region honors, she effectively distributed the ball around with five UM players racking up at least 250 kills.

The Naperville, Ill., native was also named an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar in the May 24, 2012, issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education. The award recognizes "undergraduate students of color who have made academic and athletic achievement a winning combination."

Being the first volleyball student-athlete to earn the honor, she is the 25^th Hurricane to be selected going back to 1959. Andrea Beck from Wake Forest joins Sundararaman representing the ACC this year.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a 4.00 scale, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 16,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Volleyball Team

* - First Team, 2011
# - Third Team, 2010
% - Second Team, 2011
& - Capital One Academic All-America of Year

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