Jennifer Ngo of CWRU Named to CSC Academic All-America First Team
Case Western Reserve University senior middle blocker Jennifer Ngo was selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team.
Ngo, who is earning her first career Academic All-America honor, becomes the sixth student-athlete in program history to receive the award. Previous honorees include Sara Rogers (2022), Karley King (2018, 2019), Carolyn Bogart (2015), Tricia McCutchan (2009, 2010, 2011), and Lindsay Dyer (2000). She is the first student-athlete in program history to be selected to the First Team since King in 2019 and becomes the program's fifth all-time First Team selection.
Since the program's inception, a total of 114 Case Western Reserve student-athletes have been named Academic All-Americans, compiling 158 selections, tied for the eighth-most for any Division III institution. Ngo is the fifth Spartan to earn Academic All-America honors for the 2023-24 academic year following Josh Cook (men's soccer), Alex Lippiatt (men's soccer), Helina VanBibber (women's soccer), and Matt Vatne (men's soccer).
Ngo was selected as the program's first-ever AVCA All-American in November after earning University Athletic Association Most Valuable Player honors for her performance this season. A three-time All-UAA First Team selection, the senior middle blocker averaged 3.30 kills per set this season, the fourth-highest rate in the UAA, with a career-high .323 attacking percentage, second-best in the conference. In addition, she ranked second in the conference and seventh in the country at the end of the regular season with 120 total blocks (1.29 per set, the fifth-best rate in Division III) and contributed 0.84 digs and 0.18 service aces per set. For her career, Ngo ranks sixth in program history with 334 total blocks and holds the program record with 1.17 blocks per set. Her career hitting percentage (.289) ranks fifth in program history and her career kills per set rate (2.78) is ninth among all CWRU players. A three-time UAA All-Academic and two-time CSC Academic All-District selection, Ngo is an economics major with a cumulative GPA of 3.72.
The 2023 Academic All-America Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. The Division III CSC Academic All-America programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Divisions III Academic All-America programs.
To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with a cumulative grade point average greater than 3.50, must have played in at least 90 percent of the institution's sets or have started at least 66 percent of the institution's total matches, be selected to an Academic All-District Team, and have advanced to the Academic All-America ballot.
CWRU received an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in program history this season, falling in five sets to 23rd-ranked Wisconsin Stevens Point in the First Round. The Spartans completed the season with a record of 22-9 (.710).