Four Polar Bears named to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Volleyball Team
By Wes Mayberry
| 2022 Academic All-District Volleyball Teams (.pdf) |
ADA — Four Ohio Northern student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-District Volleyball Team for the 2022 season.
Fifth-year seniors Hannah Irmer (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) and Melina Woods (Ada), senior Lea McFadden (Chillicothe/Paint Valley) and sophomore Rachel Jennings (Novi, Mich.) were each named Academic All-District.
This marks the first career CSC Academic All-District accolade for all four student-athletes.
Irmer, an exercise physiology major, is a three-time Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree and was a First Team All-OAC selection as a junior in 2020 when she was named the conference's Libero of the Year. She played in all 26 matches this season, tallying 317 digs, 38 assists and 34 service aces. She led the team in aces and ranked second in digs.
In five seasons as a Polar Bear, Irmer has played in 480 sets spanning 129 matches and has amassed 1,627 digs, 211 assists and 124 aces. She ranks eighth in program history on the career digs list.
Woods, an outside hitter, played in 14 matches this season and tallied 76 kills with a team-best .298 hitting percentage to go with 12 blocks and 36 digs.
The biology major has had a decorated three-year career at ONU after transferring from Canisius. A two-time Academic All-OAC selection, Woods was named to the All-OAC Second Team as a junior in 2020 en route to earning AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, AVCA All-Region 7 First Team and All-OAC First Team accolades last season when she was also named the MVP of the OAC Tournament.
In three seasons at ONU, Woods has 565 kills, 203 digs and 96 blocks in 58 matches. Her career .322 hitting percentage ranks fourth in program history.
McFadden, a defensive specialist, played in 24 matches this season, tallying 151 digs, 21 assists and 14 aces. The exercise physiology major has 212 digs, 27 assists and 25 aces in 39 matches over three years at ONU after transferring from Capital.
Jennings, a defensive specialist, had another standout season in 2022 after being named to the All-OAC Second Team and twice being selected as OAC Defensive Player of the Week as a freshman in 2021. The psychology major matched those accolades this season, posting 486 digs, 53 assists and 33 aces in 25 matches. She led the team in digs, tied for second in aces and was third in assists. Her dig total ranked fourth in the OAC.
Through two seasons, Jennings has 991 digs, 129 assists and 83 aces in 53 career matches.
The CSC Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot.
First, Second and Third Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in late December.
The Polar Bears were 16-10 overall and finished tied for second in the OAC with a 6-3 mark in 2022.