Karpiak Earns Spot on Academic All-District Second Team
11/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Beth Karpiak (LaGrange, Ill./Lyons Township) of the University of Michigan volleyball team was named to the ESPN The Magazine University Division Academic All-District IV volleyball second team, announced Thursday (Nov. 6) by CoSIDA. Karpiak is the fourth student-athlete in U-M volleyball history to receive Academic All-District honors and the third second-team selection, joining Erin Moore (2003) and Shareen Luze (1996). Stesha Selsky was a third team honoree in 2007.
Beth Karpiak
A political science major, Karpiak has twice earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and is a three-time U-M Athletic Academic Achievement award honoree. She is the fifth recipient of the Donald R. Shepherd Scholarship for volleyball, awarded based in part on leadership qualities, academic success and potential for impact on society after graduation.
Karpiak has started all 24 matches for the Wolverines at middle hitter and ranks 34th in the nation and sixth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.370). Her career .319 attack percentage ranks first in the Michigan record book, and her 2007 hitting percentage (.332) already ranks second on the Michigan single-season list. Karpiak needs just 57 kills to reach 1,000 for her career.
Karpiak's 258 kills and 3.07 kills per set average are good for second on the team this season, while her .370 hitting percentage is tops among current Wolverines.
To be nominated for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher. Team members are selected by a vote of the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) within the district. District IV is made up of schools in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
