College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Volleyball Release
The College of Wooster's Trinity Harmon, Troy Johnson, Amelia Mitchell, and Ty Thompson earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® honors for volleyball, as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.
Harmon, a third-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference performer, earns CSC Academic All-District® honors for the second time. The senior ranked fourth within the NCAC with 4.05 digs per set. Harmon totaled 373 digs on the year, with 26 of those coming against Westminster College (Pennsylvania). Harmon had five 20-dig efforts on the year, including 24 in a win over the University of Lynchburg (Virginia) and 20 in a Wooster victory over St. Mary's College (Indiana). Wooster's libero served up a team-best 35 aces and had just 11 service misfires over 24 matches. Harmon sported a 92.3 serve receive percentage and led the team with 558 reception attempts.
The economics major is investigating the relationship between ecotourism and gender inequality in developing economies for her Independent Study project. Harmon was part of one of Wooster's signature summer experiences – Applied Methods and Research Experience (AMRE) – leading up to senior year. As an AMRE associate, Harmon was part of the team that evaluated the city relationship and community engagement opportunities in Wooster. Harmon's Wooster experience was bolstered by taking part in a College TREK program to Costa Rica. There, Harmon engaged in a three-week experiential learning program studying human-wildlife interactions and land-use conflict. She worked closely with Rescate, a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization and led collaborative efforts to design and implement projects addressing real-world issues related to human-wildlife interactions and land-use conflicts. On campus, Harmon is a peer tutor in economics, is a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative, is involved with the Wooster Women & Gender Minorities in Economics, Wooster Volunteer Network, and Future Alumni Network student organizations, and is a Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Epsilon economics honor society member.
Johnson was a regular in this year's rotation, playing in all 92 sets. The senior logged career-highs in kills (108), kills per set (1.17), and blocks (46). Johnson upped the career-high in kills to nine in a four-set win over Asbury University (Kentucky) on the opening weekend of the season and logged a career-best six blocks again Ohio Athletic Conference champion Otterbein University. Johnson had four matches with at least seven kills and three with at least four blocks as a senior.
Johnson's Independent Study focuses on the relationship between African American communities and their African American cemeteries. As an anthropology major, Johnson is exploring the physical and historical cultural impacts on African Americans when their cemeteries are lost. By examining the repercussions of the disappearance of African American cemeteries, Johnson is aiming to shed light on the issue and raise awareness on the importance of preserving them. At Wooster, Johnson has been a teaching assistant within the Anthropology department and an intern for the campus' Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL) department. As a RSL intern, Johnson is tasked with increasing visibility and growth of RSL on campus and manages the organization's social media platforms. Johnson has worked as a peer mentor in the College's Academic Resource Center and as an intern for The College of Wooster Art Museum. Elsewhere, Johnson was an exhibitor at Chicagoland Art Shows and was a finalist for Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry Black Creativity Exhibition in 2020.
Mitchell stepped into a regular role, also playing in 92 matches as a junior. Mitchell ranked fifth in the NCAC with 0.83 blocks per set and was tops on the team with 76 blocks. Mitchell's 166 kills were second on the team, as was the 1.80 per-set average. Mitchell upped the career-high in blocks to seven against The University of Olivet (Michigan) and had five double-digit kill performances, led by 13 against Alma College (Michigan). Mitchell added 12 kills against St. Mary's and Westminster and had 11 in a win over Saint Vincent College (Pennsylvania). Mitchell's blocking efforts including six at Kenyon College and five against Allegheny College in a three-set match.
The computer science major and studio art minor is a student technology assistant with the College's IT department. There, Mitchell assists students with 3D printing and various software programs, leads workshops on how to use various software programs, and collaborates with the College's IT helpdesk. This past summer, Mitchell was an intern at the University of Louisville and worked on research on STONNE simulators with a goal of improving and exploiting cache memory. As part of the TREK program at the College, Mitchell traveled abroad to Argentia and helped create a short documentary about individuals with physical disabilities performing tango dances. On campus, Mitchell is a member of the Minorities in STEM student organization and Physics Club. The junior helps knit blankets for the Knot Another Fiber Arts Society Club on campus.
Thompson was a six-rotation mainstay and a setter in Wooster's 6-2 system. The two-time CSC Academic All-District® senior posted double-double one of the year with 11 assists and 10 digs against Olivet and had a second one against NCAC champion DePauw University with 15 assists and 13 digs. Thompson's high of 28 assists came against Westminster, while in all, the senior was second on the team with 320 helpers, which averaged out to 3.48 per set. Thompson's line included 90 kills, 24 blocks, and 14 aces. Thompson logged a high of nine kills against Asbury.
Each school with a CSC membership may submit up to four Academic All-District® honorees for volleyball. Each nominee must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, be at least a sophomore in academic standing, and either play in 90 percent of sets or start in 66 percent of matches. The CSC Academic All-America® Team for volleyball is scheduled to be announced on January 9.