Conolly, Dykema and Underwood Earn Spots on CSC Academic All-District® Team
6/25/2024 12:18:00 PM | Field Hockey
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty field hockey's Jodie Conolly, Bethany Dykema and Reagan Underwood each earned spots on the 2023-24 College Sports Communications (CSC) Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team for their efforts in the classroom, as released today by CSC.
All three student-athletes are first-time honorees on the CSC Academic All-District team. To earn inclusion on the team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, be a starter or key reserve, have played in at least 90 percent of their team's games or have started 66 percent of the team's total games and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Conolly, Dykema and Underwood are each eligible for consideration for the 2023-24 CSC Academic All-America® Women's At-Large Team, with voting beginning for the teams. The first, second and third team Academic All-America honorees for the at-large division will be released on July 16.
Conolly, a fifth-year senior defender, is currently pursuing a master's degree in general business and holds a 3.84 GPA. She also earned a bachelor's degree in industrial systems & engineering from Liberty while carrying a 3.82 GPA. Conolly is a two-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree and three-time BIG EAST All-Academic team member.
On the field hockey pitch, Conolly enjoyed a standout final season for the Lady Flames last fall, collecting NFHCA All-America first team honors. The Pietermartizburg, South Africa native was also named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, an NFHCA All-South Region first team selection, an All-BIG EAST first time honoree, BIG EAST All-Tournament team honoree and four-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award winner.
Conolly started all 20 games during her final campaign, leading the team in goals (11), points (34), game-winning goals (4) and defensive saves (2) while placing second on the squad in assists with 12. She finished the year ranked No. 10 in the nation in assists per game (0.60).
Dykema, a fifth-year senior defender, is currently maintaining a 3.97 GPA in her graduate program of human performance – strength & conditioning. The Newport News, Va. native also earned a bachelor's degree from Liberty in Dec. 2022, finishing with a 3.84 GPA. Dykema is a three-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member and four-time BIG EAST All-Academic team honoree.
Dykema earned NFHCA All-America second team honors during her final season, her second career second team All-America honor. Also an NFHCA All-South Region first team recipient, Dykema garnered All-BIG EAST first team honors and BIG EAST All-Tournament team honors in the fall of 2023 in what was her final season in a Liberty uniform. She earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week recognition once and BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll status on two occasions.
Dykema's last season in Lynchburg saw the defender lead the squad with 13 assists and rank sixth in the country in assists per game (0.65). She added six goals and 25 points (second on team) in 20 games (all starts). The defender finished her career as the program's all-time assists leader with 47. Dykema and the Liberty defense set a new program single-season record for lowest goals-against-average, 0.91.
Underwood, a senior midfielder, is currently pursuing a master's degree in professional communication: promotional & video communication. She holds a 3.93 GPA in her graduate studies. The Sinking Spring, Pa. native obtained a bachelor's degree from Liberty in Dec. 2023, earning a perfect 4.0 GPA as a digital media and journalism major. Underwood received the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award for field hockey during the fall 2021 campaign and is a four-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction as well as four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member and four-time BIG EAST Academic Honor Roll honoree.
Underwood started all 20 games this past year and finished with career highs in goals (5, tied for fifth on team) and points (16) while adding six assists (third on team) and 19 shots (13 on goal). The midfielder garnered inclusion on the 2023 All-BIG EAST first team and was tabbed to the NFHCA All-South Region second team. She was selected to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Aug. 29 for her efforts during the opening weekend of the season.
Conolly, Dykema and Underwood led Liberty to a 17-3 overall record and perfect 7-0 mark in BIG EAST regular season play. The Lady Flames earned their first-ever at-large bid into the 2023 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship and competed in the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year. Liberty finished the year No. 7 in the final national poll and No. 9 in the country in the final NCAA Field Hockey RPI listing.
All three student-athletes are first-time honorees on the CSC Academic All-District team. To earn inclusion on the team, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, be a starter or key reserve, have played in at least 90 percent of their team's games or have started 66 percent of the team's total games and have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.
Conolly, Dykema and Underwood are each eligible for consideration for the 2023-24 CSC Academic All-America® Women's At-Large Team, with voting beginning for the teams. The first, second and third team Academic All-America honorees for the at-large division will be released on July 16.
Conolly, a fifth-year senior defender, is currently pursuing a master's degree in general business and holds a 3.84 GPA. She also earned a bachelor's degree in industrial systems & engineering from Liberty while carrying a 3.82 GPA. Conolly is a two-time NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree and three-time BIG EAST All-Academic team member.
On the field hockey pitch, Conolly enjoyed a standout final season for the Lady Flames last fall, collecting NFHCA All-America first team honors. The Pietermartizburg, South Africa native was also named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, an NFHCA All-South Region first team selection, an All-BIG EAST first time honoree, BIG EAST All-Tournament team honoree and four-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award winner.
Conolly started all 20 games during her final campaign, leading the team in goals (11), points (34), game-winning goals (4) and defensive saves (2) while placing second on the squad in assists with 12. She finished the year ranked No. 10 in the nation in assists per game (0.60).
Dykema, a fifth-year senior defender, is currently maintaining a 3.97 GPA in her graduate program of human performance – strength & conditioning. The Newport News, Va. native also earned a bachelor's degree from Liberty in Dec. 2022, finishing with a 3.84 GPA. Dykema is a three-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member and four-time BIG EAST All-Academic team honoree.
Dykema earned NFHCA All-America second team honors during her final season, her second career second team All-America honor. Also an NFHCA All-South Region first team recipient, Dykema garnered All-BIG EAST first team honors and BIG EAST All-Tournament team honors in the fall of 2023 in what was her final season in a Liberty uniform. She earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week recognition once and BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll status on two occasions.
Dykema's last season in Lynchburg saw the defender lead the squad with 13 assists and rank sixth in the country in assists per game (0.65). She added six goals and 25 points (second on team) in 20 games (all starts). The defender finished her career as the program's all-time assists leader with 47. Dykema and the Liberty defense set a new program single-season record for lowest goals-against-average, 0.91.
Underwood, a senior midfielder, is currently pursuing a master's degree in professional communication: promotional & video communication. She holds a 3.93 GPA in her graduate studies. The Sinking Spring, Pa. native obtained a bachelor's degree from Liberty in Dec. 2023, earning a perfect 4.0 GPA as a digital media and journalism major. Underwood received the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award for field hockey during the fall 2021 campaign and is a four-time NFHCA Scholar of Distinction as well as four-time NFHCA National Academic Squad member and four-time BIG EAST Academic Honor Roll honoree.
Underwood started all 20 games this past year and finished with career highs in goals (5, tied for fifth on team) and points (16) while adding six assists (third on team) and 19 shots (13 on goal). The midfielder garnered inclusion on the 2023 All-BIG EAST first team and was tabbed to the NFHCA All-South Region second team. She was selected to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Aug. 29 for her efforts during the opening weekend of the season.
Conolly, Dykema and Underwood led Liberty to a 17-3 overall record and perfect 7-0 mark in BIG EAST regular season play. The Lady Flames earned their first-ever at-large bid into the 2023 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship and competed in the NCAA Tournament for a third straight year. Liberty finished the year No. 7 in the final national poll and No. 9 in the country in the final NCAA Field Hockey RPI listing.
Congrats to Bethany, Jodie & Reagan on earning @CollSportsComm Academic All-District® honors!??
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) June 25, 2024
??: https://t.co/zhcXdeGEy2 pic.twitter.com/rEiBx5vBm9
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