TEMPE, Ariz. – Five members of the Arizona State beach volleyball team were named to the 2017 Pac-12 All-Academic teams, as per an announcement made by Commissioner Larry Scott in conjunction with the conference on Thursday afternoon.
The Sand Devils proved well represented notching a conference-best four first-team honorees – Bianca Arellano, Whitney Follette, Cassidy Pickrell and Kwyn Johnson – in addition to a second-team placement by junior Mia Rivera.
Named to the conference's all academic first-team for a second-consecutive season were senior Bianca Arellano and junior Kwyn Johnson.
A two-time All-Pac-12 first-team member, Arellano recently concluded her prolific collegiate career as the second-winningest player in program history with 59 victories to her credit. Pursuing a Master's of Science in health care delivery, Arellano boasts a cumulative 3.92 GPA.
Johnson, a steady contributor for the Sand Devils on the season holds a GPA of 3.88 and is enrolled in the Sports Law and Business program at Arizona State's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
Rounding out the Sun Devils' quartet of first-team honorees were seniors Whitney Follette and Cassidy Pickrell.
Follette, a member of the program since its inception, signed off on her Sun Devil stint as the program's winningest player with a career victories tally of 61. Twice named to the Pac-12 All-Conference First-Team, Follette also earned honorable mention all-academic honors at the conclusion of the 2016 season. A higher and postsecondary education major, Follette currently maintains a 3.79 cumulative GPA.
In her second season with the program Pickrell made an immediate impact to the beach lineup, anchoring the first flight in the Number 4 position and mentoring true freshman Katelyn Carballo for the first half of the season. Currently pursuing a degree in sports journalism, Pickrell is slated to graduate in December.
Also earning honors was Junior Mia Rivera who earned a slot on the conference's second-team for a second year in a row. A criminal justice major, Rivera notched nine wins on the 2017 campaign.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and appear in at least 50 percent of their team's games during the season.
The Sand Devils proved well represented notching a conference-best four first-team honorees – Bianca Arellano, Whitney Follette, Cassidy Pickrell and Kwyn Johnson – in addition to a second-team placement by junior Mia Rivera.
Named to the conference's all academic first-team for a second-consecutive season were senior Bianca Arellano and junior Kwyn Johnson.
A two-time All-Pac-12 first-team member, Arellano recently concluded her prolific collegiate career as the second-winningest player in program history with 59 victories to her credit. Pursuing a Master's of Science in health care delivery, Arellano boasts a cumulative 3.92 GPA.
Johnson, a steady contributor for the Sand Devils on the season holds a GPA of 3.88 and is enrolled in the Sports Law and Business program at Arizona State's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
Rounding out the Sun Devils' quartet of first-team honorees were seniors Whitney Follette and Cassidy Pickrell.
Follette, a member of the program since its inception, signed off on her Sun Devil stint as the program's winningest player with a career victories tally of 61. Twice named to the Pac-12 All-Conference First-Team, Follette also earned honorable mention all-academic honors at the conclusion of the 2016 season. A higher and postsecondary education major, Follette currently maintains a 3.79 cumulative GPA.
In her second season with the program Pickrell made an immediate impact to the beach lineup, anchoring the first flight in the Number 4 position and mentoring true freshman Katelyn Carballo for the first half of the season. Currently pursuing a degree in sports journalism, Pickrell is slated to graduate in December.
Also earning honors was Junior Mia Rivera who earned a slot on the conference's second-team for a second year in a row. A criminal justice major, Rivera notched nine wins on the 2017 campaign.
To be eligible for selection to the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and appear in at least 50 percent of their team's games during the season.