GORHAM, Maine – Senior Sierra Castonguay (Nottingham, N.H./Dover) and junior Madison Zimmer (Regina, Saskatchewan/Dr. Martin LeBoldus Catholic) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's volleyball team have each earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.
 
To be eligible for the accolade, student-athletes must be a starter or an important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), must have participated in at least 90 percent of institution's sets played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's total matches, must be at least a sophomore academically and have been at their current institution for one full academic year. Graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher as both an undergrad and graduate student-athlete. Student-athletes are nominated for the honor by their institution's Athletic Communications professionals.
 
Majoring in Health Sciences with an Athletic Training track, Castonguay has now earned Academic All-District honors in each of the past two seasons. Castonguay has been the libero for the Huskies for the majority of her career and finished sixth in the LEC in digs this past season with 308 and seventh in digs per set at 3.80. She is a three-time LEC All-Academic Team member and a three-time William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete. Castonguay recorded at least 10 digs in 17 of the 25 matches she played in and reached 20 digs twice. She also tied for third on the team in service aces with 27.
 
Zimmer, a Political Science major, tied for the team lead in total blocks with 26. A consistent presence in the Huskies' starting lineup, the middle blocker has played in 78 matches over her Southern Maine career. This season she recorded career-highs in kills (101), service aces (20) and points (139.5). Zimmer was recently named to the LEC All-Academic Team for this past fall and is a William B. Wise Scholar-Athlete.
 
Designated Academic All-District student-athlete honorees are eligible for selection to the Academic All-America program. College Sports Communicators began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, has honored more than 38,000 deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors. Currently, CSC sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men's soccer, women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, baseball, softball and men's and women's track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the At-Large program, including USM sponsored sports field hockey, golf, ice hockey, and wrestling).