Pavan Repeats as Academic All-American of the Year
Lincoln – For the first time in school history, three Nebraska volleyball players were named first-team Academic All-Americans, as the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America teams were unveiled Wednesday morning.

Seniors Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling and Tracy Stalls earned that distinction on the six-member first team with Pavan repeating as Academic All-American of the Year. The 2007 campaign marks only the second time in school history that NU has had three Academic All-Americans, as the 2001 class featured only one first-team honoree.

It is the third selection for Pavan, who was a first-team selection in 2005 and 2006, and second for Houghtelling, who earned the honor in 2005. The 2007 season marks Stalls’ first selection to the team.

Senior Associate Athletic Director Dennis Leblanc, who coordinates the Huskers’ academic efforts, says that the three players honored shows the level of commitment that program has consistently shown in both academics and athletics.

 “When you talk about having three first-team Academic All-Americans on a defending national championship team and a team GPA of 3.60, it says a lot about the type of individuals in this program,” Lablanc said. “With only six first-team selections and over 2,000 players at the Division I level, it is truly a great honor for Sarah, Christina and Tracy individually, as well as for the other teammates and the coaching staff. It shows the type of individuals that Coach Cook and his staff are bringing to Nebraska.”

Nebraska now has a national-best 32 academic All-Americans in volleyball, a total that nearly triples runner-up M.I.T. total of 12.  The Husker program has had 13 volleyball academic all-Americans, including nine first-team selections, under John Cook since the start of the 2000 season.

Pavan becomes the third Husker to repeat as Academic All-American of the Year, joining Janet Kruse and Virginia Stahr, and is the second Husker volleyball player to become a three-time first-team Academic All-American. Pavan, who was named Big 12 Player of the Year for the third straight year on Monday, carries a perfect 4.00 GPA in biochemisty. With Pavan's selection in 2007, Nebraska has now had four players combine for seven volleyball Academic All-Americans of the Year.

Houghtelling becomes the fifth Husker to become a two-time first-team Academic All-American, as the senior from Cambridge, Neb., has a 3.91 GPA in elementary education. A three-time academic All-Big 12 selection, Houghtelling is a two-time All-Big 12 performer and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

Stalls becomes the ninth different Husker to earn Academic All-America honors under Coach Cook, as she carries a 3.95 GPA in an individualized program of studies. A two-year captain and All-Big 12 performer, she has been a three-time first-team All-Big 12 honoree and earned second-team academic All-District VII honors in 2006.

Nebraska now leads the nation with 255 Academic All-Americans in all sports, 61 more than second-place Notre Dame’s total of 194.