LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Las Vegas native Kyle Mellies became the first men's soccer player at UNLV since 2001 and fourth all-time to earn academic all-america honors, as he was named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America® Men's Soccer Second Team, selected and announced on Tuesday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Mellies, was selected as one of 11 members of the Academic All-America second team. Three teams were named with 11 student-athletes on each team. Mellies was placed on the national ballot after being named first team academic all-district in October, and he is the 30th UNLV athlete to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in the school's history.

A senior defender for the Rebels, Mellies led the team to one of the best seasons in school history, as UNLV swept the WAC regular season and tournament championships. That led to the Rebels' first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 26 years, where they lost in the first round to UC Irvine.

Mellies was a key component of UNLV's success, as he anchored a defensive backline that posted a conference-best 10 shutouts on the season. He also tied for third on the team in scoring for the season with 12 points off four goals and two assists. That was good enough to earn him WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, while also receiving all-conference first-team honors.

He has received conference academic recognition for the past three seasons. Holding a 3.80 GPA, Mellies is close to finishing degree in civil engineering.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at her current institution.