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Three Earn CoSIDA Academic Honor
October 29, 2015 05:06 PM | Women's Soccer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Three from the No. 2-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team were named to the 2015 Academic All-District 2 Women’s Soccer Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Seniors Amanda Hill and Kailey Utley, as well as junior Carly Black, each earned their second career honor. Utley and Black were first recognized last season, while Hill received the award in 2013. The three honors match a program-best total first earned in 2002.
The honorees will advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballots, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected in the coming weeks. Black was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Women’s Soccer Second Team last year.
“As a staff, we put a big emphasis on success in the classroom,” said WVU coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. “This is a huge honor for Amanda, Kailey and Carly, and I’m happy to see them rewarded for their hard work.”
A native of Washington, Pennsylvania, Hill has started all 82 career matches at defensive center midfield. Named one of 10 finalists for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award on Monday, she boasts a 3.97 grade point average (GPA) in exercise physiology and animal & nutritional sciences, while also minoring in sport and exercise psychology. Named to the 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-Region Honorable Mention Team, she also is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 Soccer First Team honoree and has been named to the President’s and Dean’s Lists, as well as the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
A 2013 All-Big 12 Second Team honoree, Hill, one of three team captains, has tallied a career-high nine points this season on three goals and three assists. Most recently, she tallied two goals in the Mountaineers’ 6-0 victory over Kansas on Oct. 16. She also tallied the team’s game-winner in 1-0 victory over No. 5/7 Penn State on Sept. 5. Hill also has helped the Mountaineer defense post 13 shutouts this season.
Utley, a forward and native of St. Louis, Missouri, is a biology major and owns a 3.65 GPA. A member of the 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-Region Third Team, she also is a two-time All-Big 12 Soccer First Team honoree and a member of the Dean’s List, Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
One of three team captains, Utley paces the team and ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 Conference with 24 points (9 G, 6 A). She has tallied the last three straight game-winning goals and ranks No. 4 in the country with six game-winners. Utley’s point, goal and assist totals are all career single-season bests. Named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1, she was a member of the 2014 All-Big 12 Second Team.
Black, a defender and native of Horsham, Pennsylvania, owns a 3.89 GPA in exercise physiology and also is pursuing a minor in sport and exercise psychology. A two-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 Soccer First Team, she was named to the 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-Region Honorable Mention Team and also is a member of the President’s and Dean’s Lists, the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll.
Black started all 52 career matches at center back before suffering a season-ending knee injury in WVU’s 2-0 win at No. 15 Ohio State on Sept. 11. Prior to her injury, she helped the Mountaineers record six shutouts; the Mountaineers allowed only two goals in their first seven games this season.
The four-time reigning Big 12 Conference champion Mountaineers (15-1-1, 6-0-1) close their regular-season slate at Baylor Friday night, with first kick from Betty Lou Mays Field in Waco, Texas, set for 8 p.m. ET. FOX Sports Plus will broadcast the game.
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