Women's Volleyball | 11/3/2016 4:12:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – Senior
Sarah Szybist (Colorado Springs, CO/Ramstein) and junior
Anna Valentine (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Mendon) of the RIT volleyball team earned 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District III Honors on Thursday, Nov. 3. Both women, who are co-captains for the Tigers, will be eligible for Academic All-American honors, which will be announced later in the month.
Szybist earned this honor for the third straight season and is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American selection, garnering third team accolades in 2014 and first team plaudits last year.
Szybist, who boasts a 3.94 grade-point average in biomedical sciences, leads all of Division III with 745 kills. In addition, she is second nationally with 5.07 kills per set and 5.70 points per set. Szybist also leads the team with 424 digs and 69 blocks this season. On Oct. 15, Szybist was named the RIT Invitational Most Valuable Player for the fourth straight season. Earlier in the year, she earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Springfield Tournament, Marcia French Invitational, Fredonia Blue Devil Invitational, and New York State Regional Challenge.
A four-time Liberty League Performer of the Week and two-time RIT Female Athlete of the Week, Szybist has recorded 30 kills in a match four times, including a season-best 37 in a five-set win over Mount Union. She has at least 10 kills in 37 matches this season.
Szybist is a three-time AVCA All-American and First Team All-Liberty League selection. Her 2,538 career kills are a RIT record and sixth all-time in Division III Volleyball history. Szybist also has 1,119 career digs, 252 blocks, and 155 service aces.
Valentine, a packaging science major, has a tremendous 3.95 grade-point average and is enjoying her best season to date in 2016. She has 389 digs, third most on the team to go along with 252 kills and 124 assists, both second best on RIT. She has recorded seven matches with at least 10 kills and four double-doubles. On Oct. 4, Valentine tallied a career-high 27 digs against Nazareth.
For her career, Valentine has 778 digs, 252 kills, 161 assists, and 76 service aces, despite missing the entire 2014 season due to injury. She is a three-time Liberty League All-Academic team selection and six-time RIT Dean's List recipient. Valentine was also nominated for 2016 RIT Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award.
The Tigers are back in action on Friday, Nov. 4, taking on top-seed and host Vassar College in the second Liberty League semifinal at 7:30 p.m. The winner of that game will play for the Liberty League Championship on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m.
