MACON, Ga. – Lipscomb University junior setter Kayla Ostrom has been named Atlantic Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Ostrom, a Food Systems Management major from Lafayette, Indiana, was also the only unanimous selection to the A-Sun All-Academic Team. She is one of two players on the team with a 4.00 undergraduate average.
Posting a 4.0 in graduate studies in English Teaching is Lipscomb middle blocker Jewell Dobson, who was also selected as a member of the All-Academic Team.
Lipscomb was the only team with more than one player voted onto the academic team.
“It is a great honor for Kayla,” Lipscomb coach Brandon Rosenthal said. “I think it speaks volumes to what Kayla does and who she is.
“Obviously, she is a tremendous student. She is someone who puts in a lot of time and effort in everything she does. So hats off to her because it is not easy to do what she is doing.”
On the court Ostrom leads the A-Sun in both assists and assists per set. She has been in the top 10 nationally in both categories for the majority of the season.
“Because of her mannerisms Kayla makes it look a lot easier than it truly is,” Rosenthal said. “She deserves this, and when I say she deserves it I mean it from the standpoint of she works hard for this stuff,
“She doesn’t do it for the awards because I don’t think that means much to her. Kayla is one of the most humble people I have ever met in my life. It has been fun working with her and having our relationship grow because that coach-setter relationship is so important.”
Ostrom finished the regular season with a conference-high 12.02 assists per set, including a career-high 71 against Kennesaw State. She compiled 10 matches of 50 or more assists this season.
She was also recognized earlier this year as a 2015 CoSIDA District 3 All-Academic First Team member. This was her second year to earn that honor.
“What you notice is the focus and the attention to detail in Kayla’s life,” Rosenthal said. “There were a couple of opportunities this season where things were required of her academically but she didn’t want there to be a lapse with what she was doing on the court.
“I think she works extremely hard at making it look easy. She is naturally gifted. She is very intelligent. She is a great observer. What I mean by that is she thinks before she acts. She has thought through what it is going to take to be successful.”
Ostrom’s honor marks the fourth time in a row a Lipscomb player has won volleyball scholar athlete of the year. Lauren Ford won last year and Caitlin “Dot” Dotson won in 2013 and 2012.
“We are very fortunate academically,” Rosenthal said. “Some of that has to do with the recruiting we have done.”
The All-Academic Team recognizes student-athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom and exemplify the A-Sun's mission of Building Winners for Life. All the members of the team boast a 3.30 cumulative grade point average or better and participated in at least half of their team's games.
2015 Atlantic Sun Volleyball All-Academic Awards
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Kayla Ostrom, Lipscomb
Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team
Pos Name School Cl GPA Hometown Academic Major
*S Kayla Ostrom Lipscomb Jr. 4.00 Lafayette, Ind. Food Systems Management
OPP Emily Laskelle Jacksonville Sr. 3.46 Napa, Calif. Accounting
S Kristi Piedimonte Kennesaw State So. 4.00 St. Louis, Mo. Nursing
MB Jewell Dobson Lipscomb Sr. 4.00 Shepherdsville, Ky. Masters in Teaching
DS/L Kimberly Ferguson North Florida Jr. 3.77 Altamonte Springs, Fla. Health Science
RS Shannon Weiss USC Upstate Sr. 3.95 Highland, Ill. Nursing
OH McKenna Foster Stetson So. 3.96 Ocala, Fla. Marketing
* - Denotes a unanimous selection to all-conference team