Three Huskers Earn Academic All-District Honors

Lincoln -- The 12th-ranked University of Nebraska volleyball team scored another victory on Thursday when it was notified that three Huskers have earned GTE Academic All-District honors.

Junior Nancy Meendering, a 6-1 rightside hitter from Hull, Iowa., and senior Mandy Monson, a 6-0 outside hitter from Wallace, Neb., were each named to the six-person first team. Senior Tonia Tauke, a 6-3 middle blocker from Council Bluffs, Iowa, was a second-team selection. Both Meendering and Monson will advance to the GTE Academic All-America ballot.

Meendering was named to the all-district team for the second consecutive year. The preseason Big 12 Player of the Year currently has a 3.79 grade-point average in advertising and leads the team and ranks second in the Big 12 with 4.98 kills per game. A 1998 AVCA First-Team All-American, Meendering currently ranks 10th on the NU career kills list and could break Nebraska's single-season kills record. A 1998 Academic All-Big 12 selection, Meendering is involved in several community outreach programs, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has been a volunteer for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program for the past three years.

Monson, who also earned first-team accolades, has a 3.77 grade-point average in business administration and is second on the team with 204 kills (2.19 kills per game). The team's best defensive player, Monson leads the team with 299 digs and ranks ninth in the Big 12 with 3.27 digs per game. A two-time member of the All-American Farm Team, Monson is on pace to become the first Husker to lead the team in digs for three straight seasons. She was a 1998 Academic All-Big 12 selection and is the vice president of the Nebraska Student-Athlete Advisory Board. She has also been a volunteer speaker on numerous occasions, including the "School is Cool" Jam, and was a volunteer for NU's Meals on Wheels program this year.

Tauke, a 6-3 middle blocker from Council Bluffs, Iowa, earned second-team honors for the second straight year. Tauke graduated in May with a degree in journalism and has a 3.75 GPA as a graduate student in the journalism program. Tauke was the only graduate student nominated for the award and has done countless community service projects during her career. A regular speaker on Title IX, she has spoken on the topic to a number of the Lincoln Public Schools and other service groups.

Nebraska is 22-5 and 14-3 in the Big 12 and ranked No. 12 in the latest USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll. The Huskers can win their 22nd conference title in 24 years by winning their final three regular season matches. To be nominated, a student-athlete must have a least a 3.20 GPA, reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and played in 50 percent of the team's games.