Nov. 15, 2001

WACO, Texas - Baylor volleyball senior Sunny Nicholas was selected first-team Verizon Academic all-District VI, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America. As a first-team selection, Nicholas is now eligible for academic all-America honors, that team will be released Dec. 10.

Joining Nicholas in receiving first-team all-district honors were Leigh Leman of Rice, Corina Marginas of North Texas, Melissa McGehee of Texas Tech, Stacy Schmidt of Texas-San Antonio and Beth Weynad of Texas A&M. Second-team selections were Marijana Bego of Arkansas-Little Rock, Stacy Gaston of McNeese State, Abby Hollander of Mississippi, Jenna Moscovic of Texas A&M, Libby Windell of Arkansas and Angie Wood of Stephen F. Austin State.

A native of Fullerton, Calif., Nicholas becomes the third Baylor volleyball player to ever earn academic all-district honors. She joins Kia Young, a first-team choice in 1999, and Elisha Polk, a second-team pick in 1999. Nicholas, a pre-nursing major, is a two-time, first-team Academic all-Big 12 Conference selection and has been named to the conference's commissioner's honor roll during every semester of her collegiate career.

Nicholas currently ranks sixth all-time at Baylor with 1,065 career kills. Her career attacking percentage of .294 is the second-highest mark in the program's 24-year history. This season, Nicholas is tops on the team with a .311 attacking percentage, she is averaging 2.54 kills, 2.15 digs and 0.63 blocks per game.

This year marks the 50th year of the CoSIDA Academic all-America program, as the inaugural team was announced on December 6, 1952. Since that time, more than 12,000 students have been named Academic All-America team members at colleges and universities at all levels for every recognized NCAA sport.

The program's popularity resulted in a significant expansion for the current academic year, as 816 student-athletes -- a 19-percent increase over the previous highest number -- will be selected to 12 different Academic all-America teams during the 2001-02 academic season.