LINCOLN Three University of Nebraska volleyball players were among 29 female student-athletes across the country selected for NCAA postgraduate scholarships this week.
Christina Houghtelling, Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls were each selected to receive $7,500 scholarships to use as they eventually pursue their postgraduate degrees. Prior to this year, Nebraska had had only three NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners in program history, most recently Laura Pilakowski during the 2002-03 academic year.
The athletes selected this week were athletes who participated in fall sports, which included men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's water polo.
Houghtelling, who received her undergraduate degree in December 2007 and is currently playing professionally in Puerto Rico, was a two-time AVCA All-American during her career and was selected as the 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year. Last year, she averaged 3.02 kills, 3.95 digs and 0.30 service aces per game, as she was chosen as the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year. Houghtelling, who will join the Wayne State volleyball staff next season, was also a two-time ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American, earning the honor in 2005 and 2007.
Pavan, who is completing her undergraduate degree this semester and will play professionally in Italy next season, was one of the most decorated student-athletes in school history. A four-time All-American, Pavan was one of just four volleyball players in NCAA Division I history to be a four-time first-team All-American, and was chosen as the AVCA's National Player of the Year in 2006.
The 2006-07 Honda-Broderick Cup winner, Pavan was a three-time Big 12 Player of the Year, leading the Big 12 in kills (4.83) and points per game (5.73).
In the classroom, Pavan was ESPN the Magazine's Academic All-American of the Year in all sports during the 2006-07 year.
Stalls, who is currently training in Colorado Springs with the U.S. National Volleyball team, was a two-time AVCA All-American during her Husker career. As a senior, she earned second-team All-America honors, averaging 2.83 kills and 1.13 blocks per game while ranking third nationally with a .473 hitting percentage. Stalls, who became just the second Husker in school history to hit .400 or better in consecutive seasons, finished her career among school leaders in both career blocks (578, fourth) and career block assists (520, third). In the classroom, she earned first-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American honors in 2007 and was a three-time academic All-Big 12 selection.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) or its equivalent, and must have performed with distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was nominated. The student-athlete must have behaved, both on and off the field, in a manner that has brought credit to the student-athlete, the institution and intercollegiate athletics. The student-athlete also must intend to continue academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree as a full-time or part-time graduate student.
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