NEWARK, Del. - - Wilmington University volleyball standouts Brittany Biddle and Nicole Wiechecki have each been recognized on the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District I Volleyball Team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom during the 2012 fall season.
Biddle, the first Wilmington University volleyball student-athlete to be named Capital Once All-District I First Team last season, becomes the first repeat student-athlete on the All-District I team in program history. She continued to hold her perfect 4.0 grade point average through the fall semester while progressing towards obtaining her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education: K-6.
The junior middle hitter was second on the team and third in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference in blocks (119) and blocks per set (0.98), respectively. She also finished fourth in the CACC in block assists (87) and fifth in solo blocks (32). Biddle, a two-time Second Team All-CACC honoree, led the team and was fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.274) while averaging 1.66 kills per set.
Wiechecki earned her first Capital One Academic All-District I honoree after posting a 3.81 grade point average in Sports Management in the fall semester of her senior year.
The outside hitter helped lead the team to a 28-6 overall record and an appearance in the CACC Tournament championship match last Saturday. She was named First Team All-CACC after leading the Wildcats in kills (330), kills per set (2.82), service aces (72), digs (395), digs per set (3.38), and points (417). Wiechecki was also fifth in the CACC in kills per set, and third in service aces per set (0.60).
Biddle and Wiechecki was joined on the Capital One Academic All-District I team by repeat performer Sarah Ambach (Holy Family) and newcomers Kimberly Lachowicz (Southern Connecticut State), Bijana Savic (Bridgeport) and Sabrina Simas (Bridgeport).
The Academic All-District teams are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.
The Capital One Division II and III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2012-13 DII and DIII Academic All-America® teams program.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second-, and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA's Academic All-America teams programs since 2011.