May 7, 2009
LAS VEGAS - Three UNLV softball student-athletes were named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District Eight Teams on Thursday. Jaci Hull and Brittany Bolinger were tabbed to the first team, while Marissa Nichols was selected to the second team. Hull and Bolinger are now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America status by virtue of being placed on the district's first team. This is the second consecutive year that Hull and Bolinger have been recognized with this award. Hull was a first-team member in 2008, while Bolinger was on the second squad.
All three student-athletes are no stranger to receiving academic recognition, as they each have been named to the Mountain West Conference's Academic All-Conference Teams three times. Bolinger is a three-time recipient of earning MWC Scholar-Athlete honors, while Hull and Nichols have achieved the feat twice and once, respectively.
Hull, a redshirt junior from Scottsdale, Ariz., holds a 3.55 cumulative GPA in kinesiology. This season, she has played in all 49 games for UNLV and leads the team in doubles (11), home runs (11), RBI (50), total bases (99) and slugging (.673). She ranks highly in batting (.347), hits (51), runs (37), walks (22) and on-base (.443). She became only the second Rebel to notch at least 50 RBI in a single season and to combine 50 hits with 50 RBI.
Bolinger, a senior from Yucaipa, Calif., is a kinesiology major with a 3.72 cumulative GPA. She has started all 49 games and leads the team in runs (42) and sacrifices (19). She has contributed 43 hits, four doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI.
Hull and Bolinger are looking to join four former Rebel softball student-athletes in the CoSIDA All-America listings, as Tammy Bahde (1987), Lisa Wilkins-Eams (1993), Kim Rondina (1996 & 1997) and Charelle Ainslie (2000) were honored in the past.
Nichols is a first-year graduate student that is playing her junior year at UNLV is from Diamond Bar, Calif. She graduated with her undergraduate degree in human services counseling (2008) and is currently working toward her master's in school counseling. On the year, she is hitting .338 with 48 hits, 10 doubles and 10 home runs. She has knocked in 24 RBI and scored 37 runs. She leads the team in walks (26) and stolen bases (six).
The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) selects Academic All-America teams in 12 programs throughout the year. Players who are starters or important reserves on their teams and are at least in their second year at a school and hold at least a 3.30 career GPA are eligible for the academic awards, which are voted on by sports information directors from across the nation.
UNLV's district includes four-year institutions from the states of California, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Idaho and Nevada.
