Billetdeaux, Case Voted to CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team

Div. III CoSIDA Academic All-America® volleyball release

Seniors Katie Billetdeaux and Syd Case, College of Wooster volleyball teammates, were voted College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans®, as announced by the national organization on Thursday. Case was one of seven voted to the first team, while Billetdeaux earned third-team honors. Wooster was one of just four NCAA Div. III programs with multiple Academic All-Americans® this year.

"It is such an honor for our program to have two players in this elite group," said head coach Sarah Davis. "This is a great tribute to those player who came before them and laid the foundation for their teammates to thrive in all areas of life."

Case, a first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection, finished seventh in Div. III with 10.79 assists per set this fall. She logged the program's top average in the current scoring era and was the first Scot to finish with at least 10 assists per set since 2006. Case's 1,144 assists were 11 shy of the scoring-era program record and the 11th-most in Div. III this year. With Case leading the way, Wooster's hitters averaged 13.35 kills per set, the 17th-most in Div. III, and the Scots' .217 hitting percentage ranked in the top 40 nationally.

Case passed out a single-match scoring-era program-record 57 assists in Wooster's win over Denison University in the semifinals of the NCAC Tournament, where the Scots went on to make their first appearance in the tournament championship match since 1985. Her season-high in digs, 18, came against Thiel College, the first of a 10-match winning streak, which marked the program's first since 1984. Case, who also ranked third in the NCAC with 45 aces, logged four matches with at least 50 assists this fall and had 10 others in the 40s.

For her Independent Study, Case is constructing a multifaceted ArcGIS dashboard to manage and visually represent climate data. That work will set up Wooster for success, as Case's file geodatabase will store the College's earth sciences department's climate datasets. Case is working to create a functional and efficient webpage for departmental and public access to Wooster's dashboards and produce tutorial for future students.

Last spring, the environmental geoscience major analyzed Icelandic glaciovolcanic tindars with three-dimensional models and demonstrated the importance of viewing glaciovolcanic structures in three dimensions, while laying the foundation for potential outcomes of further research in the area. Case analyzed eolian sedimentation on Mars, examined wind transport processes and dune formation, produced online maps illustrating recommended prescribed fire locations to diminish wildfire damage in Brazil, interned with the United States Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, interned with the World Wildlife Fund, and was an environmental education intern during her undergraduate studies.

"Syd's path to Wooster was winding, but in the end, we are so happy she had an experience where she could truly embrace both her athletic and academic pursuits," shared Davis. "She was a passionate leader on the court and an incredible example of excellence that comes from many years of hard work. In my mind there is no higher honor that demonstrates the tenets of Wooster volleyball."

Billetdeaux earned second-team All-NCAC honors following a breakout season. The Fighting Scots' top middle posted career-bests in kills (342), digs (86), and blocks (78). Billetdeaux was one of two Scots with over 300 kills this fall, a first for the program since 2012. Her .340 hitting percentage ranks second in program history for the current scoring era. She logged a career-high 22 kills against Denison in the semifinals of the NCAC Tournament. Earlier in the year, Billetdeaux tied her old-career-high in kills with 18 against Adrian College, one of 21 double-digit kill outings. Elsewhere, Billetdeaux logged six blocks in Wooster's win over Case Western Reserve University and was the NCAC Athlete of the Week following the NCAC/Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Battle at the Point.

For her Independent Study, Billetdeaux is investigating how big of a role eyes play in facial emotion recognition using an electroencephalogram (EEG). Earlier in her studies, Billetdeaux was a sophomore research intern. There, she learned how to set up and run the EEG scan and became proficient in running the scan on her own. The cognitive behavioral neuroscience major designed an experimental testing procedure and studied rodent behavior through a neuroscience research experience on campus, and she has volunteered with Montessori School of Wooster and Little Scots Volleyball Camp.

Back home, Billetdeaux's worked as a summer camp counselor with the Lindenhurst Park District in Illinois.

"It's wonderful to see Katie recognized for all the hard work she's put into the classroom and on the court," added Davis. "Katie has demonstrated so much growth as a player over her four years and had an incredible senior season. This award is a testament to the high standards she holds herself to and the hard work she is willing to put in to achieve her goals."

Wooster volleyball student-athletes have earned five of the College's 56 Academic All-America® awards. Karen Light was the first female student-athlete at the College to earn Academic All-America® honors in 1984, Nora Land was part of the 1985 team, and Kelley Johnson was a first-team selection in 2012. Of note, three of Wooster's five volleyball Academic All-Americans® were voted to the first team. Billetdeaux and Case are the fifth set of Wooster teammates to earn Academic All-America® honors in the same year, and the first since football's Nick Flannery and Tyler Gerwig in 2014.

Of note, four Wooster student-athletes – Billetdeaux, Case, football's Lake Barrett, and women's soccer's Alexa Bencic – were voted CoSIDA Academic All-Americans® this fall, tying the Scots record for most selections in an academic year. Wooster previously had four student-athletes earn Academic All-America® honors during the 2006-07, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2014-15 academic years.