Nov. 8, 2007

LAS VEGAS - UNLV junior outside hitter Jessica Walters was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 Volleyball First Team. Walters is now eligible for CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors Association) Academic All-America recognition, which will be announced later this month.

Walters becomes the second Rebel to be honored with CoSIDA Academic All-District honors since 2003. Leiana Oswald, who sits in the top 10 of nearly all UNLV career records, was named to the district's second team in 2003.

Thus far this season, Walters ranks third in kills (189) and kills-per-game (2.59). She is hitting .246 on the year, which has been aided by seven .300 or better matches (with at least five kills). She has notched three double-doubles this season by combining double-digit kills and digs. Defensively, she has 131 digs for a digs-per-game average of 1.79.

The academic all-district squad was voted on by CoSIDA members from within the District 8 states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington and the province of British Columbia.

ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 First Team

Student-Athlete, School, Class, GPA, MajorJessica Walters, UNLV, JR, 3.94, JournalismTara West, Washington St., SR, 4.00, Biological SciencesKathryn Haynie, Utah, JR, 3.94, Pre-PharmacyAlexis Crimes, Long Beach St., SR, 3.26, Criminal JusticeJade Machado, UCLA, JR, 3.93, Communication StudiesAngie Pressey, California, SR, 3.47, HistoryCynthia Barboza, Stanford, JR, 3.35, Sociology