4 Lady Flames Named to CSC Academic All-District Team®
12/17/2024 12:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty senior middle blocker Madison Blane, senior outside hitter Kate Gammer, senior right-side hitter Elizabeth Helmich and senior libero Erica Lowery have been named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Volleyball Team®, announced today by the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
To earn inclusion on the team, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve, have played in at least 90 percent of their team's matches or started at least 66 percent of the team's contests and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Voting has now begun for the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Volleyball Team®. The first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on Jan. 14.
Liberty has now received 18 CSC Academic All-District® honors in program history. This is the second year in a row that Liberty has had four Academic All-District Volleyball selections, as Blane, Gammer, Delaney Dilfer and Julia Mangum were honored last season.
Earlier this fall, Blane and Lowery were both named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team.
Blane and Gammer both receive their third CSC Academic All-District® honors, while Helmich earns her second and Lowery her first.
Blane currently holds a 3.79 GPA in pursuit of a master's degree in human action & human rights: women's & children's care and advocacy. Gammer earned a 3.88 GPA in completing her bachelor's degree in business administration. Helmich has earned a 4.0 GPA while pursuing a master's degree in sports marketing and media. Lowery has maintained a 4.0 GPA while in pursuit of a master's degree in human performance: strength training & conditioning.
A native of Montgomery, Texas, Blane earned her third straight all-conference honor this season, being named to the CUSA All-Conference second team. She led the CUSA in blocks per set in conference play (1.43) while ranking third overall (32nd nationally) with 1.31 blocks per set. Her 153 blocks are ranked second all-time on Liberty's single-season, rally-scoring records list. Blane has been named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week twice this season and five times in her career.
Hailing from Encinitas, Calif., Gammer was named to the CUSA All-Conference first team this season, her second straight all-conference honor. Gammer ranked fifth in Conference USA in kills per set overall (3.58) and third in conference matches (3.97), while ranking fifth in points per set both overall (4.06) and in conference contests (4.49). Gammer recorded 11 double-doubles, including nine in conference play. Her 26 kills against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 19 are tied for the most kills by any Lady Flame in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era.
Helmich, from Plymouth, Minn., made a major impact for the Lady Flames during her only season after completing a graduate transfer from James Madison. She finished the season ranked third on the team with a career-high 217 kills, while also posting the third most blocks (77) of any Lady Flame this year. Helmich posted seven double-digit kill matches, tying her career high with 14 kills against Oakland on Sept. 20.
Lowery, a native of Cypress, Texas, emerged as one of the top liberos in Conference USA during her senior season. She ranked fifth in CUSA in digs per set in conference play (4.09) and sixth overall (3.85). Her 3.85 digs per set were well ahead of her previous best single-season digs per set average (3.71 in 2022). She posted 26 double-digit dig matches (including in 18 out of Liberty's final 20 matches) and four 20-dig contests (three in CUSA play).
To earn inclusion on the team, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve, have played in at least 90 percent of their team's matches or started at least 66 percent of the team's contests and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Voting has now begun for the 2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Volleyball Team®. The first-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on Jan. 14.
Liberty has now received 18 CSC Academic All-District® honors in program history. This is the second year in a row that Liberty has had four Academic All-District Volleyball selections, as Blane, Gammer, Delaney Dilfer and Julia Mangum were honored last season.
Earlier this fall, Blane and Lowery were both named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team.
Blane and Gammer both receive their third CSC Academic All-District® honors, while Helmich earns her second and Lowery her first.
Blane currently holds a 3.79 GPA in pursuit of a master's degree in human action & human rights: women's & children's care and advocacy. Gammer earned a 3.88 GPA in completing her bachelor's degree in business administration. Helmich has earned a 4.0 GPA while pursuing a master's degree in sports marketing and media. Lowery has maintained a 4.0 GPA while in pursuit of a master's degree in human performance: strength training & conditioning.
A native of Montgomery, Texas, Blane earned her third straight all-conference honor this season, being named to the CUSA All-Conference second team. She led the CUSA in blocks per set in conference play (1.43) while ranking third overall (32nd nationally) with 1.31 blocks per set. Her 153 blocks are ranked second all-time on Liberty's single-season, rally-scoring records list. Blane has been named CUSA Defensive Player of the Week twice this season and five times in her career.
Hailing from Encinitas, Calif., Gammer was named to the CUSA All-Conference first team this season, her second straight all-conference honor. Gammer ranked fifth in Conference USA in kills per set overall (3.58) and third in conference matches (3.97), while ranking fifth in points per set both overall (4.06) and in conference contests (4.49). Gammer recorded 11 double-doubles, including nine in conference play. Her 26 kills against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 19 are tied for the most kills by any Lady Flame in a four-set match in the rally-scoring era.
Helmich, from Plymouth, Minn., made a major impact for the Lady Flames during her only season after completing a graduate transfer from James Madison. She finished the season ranked third on the team with a career-high 217 kills, while also posting the third most blocks (77) of any Lady Flame this year. Helmich posted seven double-digit kill matches, tying her career high with 14 kills against Oakland on Sept. 20.
Lowery, a native of Cypress, Texas, emerged as one of the top liberos in Conference USA during her senior season. She ranked fifth in CUSA in digs per set in conference play (4.09) and sixth overall (3.85). Her 3.85 digs per set were well ahead of her previous best single-season digs per set average (3.71 in 2022). She posted 26 double-digit dig matches (including in 18 out of Liberty's final 20 matches) and four 20-dig contests (three in CUSA play).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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