Feb. 23, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Three members of the Maryland volleyball team are on a list of 30 volleyball student-athletes selected to the 2009 ACC All-Academic Team, announced today by Commissioner John Swofford. Junior Brittney Grove, freshman Samantha Rosario and senior Katie Usher all made the cut.

Usher led the team with a .323 hitting percentage and in blocking with 96 total. She finished her career ranked third in block assists (449), third in total blocks (499) and eight in block solos (50). Usher also finished 10th in hitting percentage (.288) and 10th in points (1,304.5).

Rosario, a libero from Lindenhurt, N.Y., recorded 484 digs this season, the fourth-best single-season total in program history. Grove recorded two double-doubles on the season, first on Oct. 10 (12 kills and 14 digs) and on Oct. 30. (13 kills and 10 digs). She was also on the list in 2008 as a sophomore.

To qualify for selection to the ACC All-Academic team, student-athletes must have earned a 3.0 grade-point average during the fall semester and have maintained a 3.0 GPA for their careers.

All 12 conference schools are represented on the 2009 ACC All-Academic Volleyball Team, led by Duke with six selections, followed by Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia with three picks apiece. Boston College, Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest each garnered two picks, while Clemson and NC State both had one honoree.

Name Yr. Pos. School Major

Kristen Baader (Boston College)
Melanie Cimino (Boston College)
Natalie Patzin (Clemson)
Kellie Catanach (Duke)
Sophia Dunworth @ (Duke)
Christiana Gray % (Duke)
Rachael Moss $^ (Duke)
Amanda Robertson (Duke)
Claire Smalzer @ (Duke)
Brianna Barry $!*^ (Florida State)
Stephanie Neville (Florida State) 
Jordan McCullers (Georgia Tech) 
Brittany Roderick (Georgia Tech) 
Asia Stawicka @ (Georgia Tech)
Brittney Grove @ (Maryland)
Sam Rosario (Maryland)
Katie Usher (Maryland)
Lane Carico @^ (Miami)
Maria Andersson (Miami)
Heather Brooks # (North Carolina)
Branagan Fuller (North Carolina)
Cora Harms (North Carolina)
Keri DeMar (NC State)
A.J. Cushman (Virginia)
Lauren Dickson # (Virginia)
Sydney Hill @ (Virginia)
Jill Gergen @ (Virginia Tech) 
Cara Baarendse % (Virginia Tech) 
Andrea Beck (Wake Forest) 
Kelsey Jones @ (Wake Forest) 

! denotes 2009 ACC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
@ denotes two-time honoree
# denotes three-time honoree
$ denotes four-time honoree
* denotes 2009 ACC Volleyball Player of the Year
^ denotes 2009 All-ACC team member
% denotes All-ACC Freshman team member