CALIFORNIA (Nov. 22) – The California (PA) volleyball team featured four players named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team on Tuesday afternoon, as senior outside hitter
Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman), sophomore outside hitter
Allie Droneberger (North Beach, Md./Northern), senior middle hitter
Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) and senior libero
Kelly Lynch (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) earned the honor.
With the honor, all four players are eligible for consideration on the CSC Academic All-America Teams that will be announced next month. The CSC Academic All-America program replaces the former CoSIDA Academic All-America program after CoSIDA recently rebranded the organization as College Sports Communicators.
A native of Ohio, Burkey led the team with 228 kills and 307.5 total points while starting all 25 matches. She also paced the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 60 service aces, which is tied for the second-most in single-season school history. Burkey holds a 3.92 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) while completing a degree in chemistry with a minor in environmental science.
Droneberger finished second on the team with career highs of 159 kills and 188.5 total points after playing in 23 matches. She boasts a 3.88 GPA while majoring in biology with a concentration in pre-medicine.
A native of Georgia, Howard ranked second on the team with 52 blocks and finished the season with 122 kills and 156.5 total points while appearing in all 25 matches. She maintains a 3.90 GPA while finishing a degree in economics.
Lynch finished second on the team with 251 digs and an average of 2.89 digs per set while playing in 24 matches. She holds a 3.91 GPA while completing a degree in marketing.
To qualify for the academic all-district honors, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and in athletic eligibility, must maintain a cumulative 3.50 GPA or higher and must have played at least 50 percent of the team's matches. Additionally, each institution is capped at four nominees in the sport of volleyball.
