Frick honored as Academic All-America Team Member of the Year

MITCHELL, S.D. – For the first time in Dakota Wesleyan University history, an athlete has been named the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, as volleyball senior Rebecca Frick was honored with the accolade. The prestigious award for NAIA volleyball was announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday morning.

 CoSIDA began the distinguished Academic All-America program in 1952, as players are voted on exclusively by members of CoSIDA.

 In order to be considered for this award, athletes must first be named to the All-Region Team where they need to hold a GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale. They must also be a starter or important reserve and participate in at least 50% of their team's games.

 "I am very honored to receive this award," Frick said. "I think it shows how hard I worked not only on the volleyball court but also in the classroom. I am grateful for all the awards I have received, but I know none of these would be possible without my teammates and coaches that supported me throughout my career. The memories I have made with my teammates are something I will cherish forever."

 The Yankton, S.D., native met all the criteria as she completed her career with 1,750 kills and 1,465 digs, ranking second and eighth in program history, respectively. Frick led the Tigers with 4.6 kills per set and 540 kills on the year, leading the Great Plains Athletic Conference in both categories. She was also tabbed to the All-GPAC First Team for consecutive years in 2019, while also being named AVCA NAIA All-America Honorable Mention and NAIA All-America Honorable Mention. Frick was named to the Academic All-Region Team by CoSIDA on Dec. 5, which put her up for consideration for the Academic All-America Team.

 "To watch a player that has put in 100% effort in both her academics and athletics to reap the benefits of this award is so satisfying as a coach," head volleyball coach Lindsay Wilber said. "Often times, we as coaches will question if we are doing the right thing for these players. When an athlete of yours receives this type of award, it solidifies that we are recruiting the right kids to be a part of our program at DWU. We have young adults that are going to go into this world and make it a better place and Becky is absolutely one of them."

 While her performance on the court has been impressive over the previous four seasons, her achievements in the classroom are just as remarkable. Frick finished with a perfect 4.0 grade point average as a biology major, as she now plans to pursue her options in PA school.

 "This is one of the most prestigious individual honors in our departments history," Director of Athletics Jon Hart said. "Becky has been the model student-athlete ever since stepping foot on our campus. She has excelled to the highest level in the classroom, on the court and in the community. On behalf of our entire department and University, we want to congratulate Becky on this outstanding honor from CoSIDA. She continues to make DWU proud and we look forward to seeing everything ahead for her in the future."

 The six-foot outside hitter joins six other athletes on the first team, as she is the only member of the GPAC to be named to the first team. She and four other first-team honorees make the team with a perfect 4.0 GPA. 

 "I think one thing that my career at DWU has taught me is that there are going to be struggles, but with my amazing support system at home and at DWU, I was able to overcome those obstacles and learn from my mistakes," Frick said. "I am thankful for the lessons I have learned and the person I have become because of Dakota Wesleyan. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and DWU volleyball the past four years!"