Lewiston, ID – Four LC State Volleyball student-athletes earned the distinction of College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District, announced on Tuesday. Juliauna Forgach Aguilar led the group with her second selection, while Natany Felix Guimaraes, Esther Kailiponi and Makenzie Stout each earned the honor for the first time.
The award recognizes student-athletes that excel both in the classroom and in the field of play. To be eligible, student-athletes must start in 66% of matches or appear in 90%, must hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and be at least a sophomore in standing. A maximum of four players are selected per program for the competitive award.
“Our program’s commitment to excellence in both academics and athletics is incredibly inspiring,” Head Coach Katie Palmer said. “We are immensely proud of our four student-athletes who have been recognized as CSC Academic All-District honorees. This recognition reflects our entire institution’s dedication to fostering a supportive environment where students can thrive. Our exceptional faculty and staff are the backbone of this success, continuously going above and beyond to ensure our students’ achievements both on the court and in the classroom.”
Forgach Aguilar holds a 3.94 GPA as a Sport Management major and was voted First-Team All-Cascade Conference and AVCA First-Team All-Northwest Region. The junior put together one of the best offensive seasons in program history where she shattered the LC State record in kills per set (4.60) and points per set (4.91). Her 488 total kills rank seventh in Warrior history for a single season and three of her single-match kill totals rank in the top 10 with amounts of 32, 27 and 26. The outside hitter led the CCC and was fourth in the NAIA in total kills in the regular season, and she was sixth in the nation in kills per set. Her 56 blocks added to her season point total of 520.5 which had her in the top 10 of the NAIA and ranks seventh in program history. She was efficient with an attack percentage of .233.
Felix Guimaraes maintains a 3.74 grade point average and is working toward a degree in Kinesiology: Exercise Science and Health Occupations. The LC State libero was the only Warrior to appear in all 107 sets and one of two to start of 28 matches. She led the Warriors in digs (543) and digs per set (5.07) and was third in the CCC in digs per set. The senior’s single-season digs total ranks fifth in LC State record book and digs per set ranks second. Felix Guimaraes had 13 matches with at least 20 digs and double-digits in all but two.
Kailiponi is a Psychology student with a 3.78 GPA. The junior appeared in all 28 matches and led the team in total assists (463) and assists per set (4.37). She finished the season with 28 service aces and led all non-liberos on the team with 211 digs for 1.99 per set. The setter had at least 20 assists in a match nine times including a season-high of 29 against Oregon Tech. Kailiponi surpassed the 1,000-assist mark for her career during the season and has 1,274 after three years.
Stout, the lone sophomore of the group, maintains a perfect 4.0 grade point average while studying Business Administration. The defensive specialist led the team in service aces (31) for 0.30 per set and was second on the team in digs (225) and digs per set (2.18).