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Hoffman, McGlaughlin Garner Capital One Academic All-America Honors

December 20, 2011
Kristin Hoffman and Allison McGlaughlin

Kristin Hoffman and Allison McGlaughlin can now add the title CoSida Academic All-Americans to their list of honors.

Northern Illinois volleyball seniors Kristin Hoffman (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and Allison McGlaughlin (Morton, Ill./Morton) were named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The two are the first teammates in NIU and Mid-American Conference history to earn Academic All-America® status in the same season, and are the only Division I teammates in the NCAA on the list. Hoffman, who was the program’s first-ever Academic All-America® selection last year, repeated this year and improved from a Third Team selection to a First Team selection. McGlaughlin received a Third Team nod.

Overall, it is just the eighth time that the MAC has had two CoSIDA honorees in the same season and first since 2005. As the lone representatives from the league on the list, which is composed of three six-person teams, the Huskies are the 30th and 31st all-time selections from the MAC. Hoffman is the 13th First Team choice and first since 2006, and is the seventh in league history to receive the honor more than once in a career. McGlaughlin is the 13th Third Team recipient.

“Anytime players from our team get recognized for their individual achievements, I feel it’s a reflection of not only their achievements but of our overall team’s success,” said NIU Head Coach Ray Gooden, who has coached all seven of the program’s All-Americans. “Last year, we had our first-ever Academic All-American in Kristin. Now, we have two with Allison joining her. It just adds to the list of wonderful accomplishments for the 2011 Huskies.

“It’s also a special thing for both Kristin and Allison, who came in together, to earn this honor together and be recognized not only for their athletic success but their academic success as well.”

A history major with a 3.97 grade point average, Hoffman is also a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-Region selection. The accolade makes the setter a three-time All-American as she was an American Volleyball Coaches Association honorable mention All-American this year as well.

Earning First Team All-MAC status for the second straight year, Hoffman captained the NIU offense well enough to become the first Huskie ever to win MAC Setter of the Year. She led the country in assists (12.27/set) and ran an offense that led the NCAA in kills (15.02/set) and ranked seventh in hitting percentage (.279). During the season, she notched her 4,000th career assist, becoming the third player in Huskie history to achieve the milestone. She ended the season with a career high in assists, and tied her career highs in aces (28) and digs (260). She finished with 23 matches with 40 or more assists; six matches with 50 or more assists; two matches with 60 or more assists; and 10 double-doubles.

An elementary education major with a 3.96 GPA, McGlaughlin is also a two-time first team CoSIDA Academic All-Region selection. The three-time Second Team All-MAC recipient picked up her 1,000th career dig to become just the ninth in Huskie history to have over 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. She ended the year with a career-high .200 hitting percentage and ranked second on the team in points (3.09/set), kills (2.86/set), and digs (2.70/set).

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.