Neha Tummala of Carnegie Mellon Named CSC Academic All-America
Carnegie Mellon University junior Neha Tummala was honored on the 2025 Academic All-America® Division III Volleyball Team as selected by the College Sports Communicators. Tummala, who is one of 21 student-athletes across Division III, was selected to the third team and is one of six non-seniors to receive the award.
This prestigious award for Tummala marks the fourth time a Carnegie Mellon volleyball player has earned Academic All-America recognition. She joins 2022 honoree Stella Yan, a fellow setter, 2021 honoree Vivian Beaudoin, and Stephanie Szobota, who garnered recognition in 1999.
Tummala is a neuroscience major with a 4.00 GPA who was honored on the All-University Athletic Association (UAA) Volleyball Second Team this season. The junior setter led the Tartans with 920 assists and 7.08 assists per set which ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the UAA. Tummala ranked second on the team with 54 service aces and fourth on the Tartans with 310 digs. Her 54 aces ranked third best in the UAA. Early in the season she recorded a career-high seven aces in a win over John Carroll.
As a sophomore, Tummala was honored an AVCA All-American honorable mention selection for amassing 1,242 assists (10.53 per set) while leading the UAA with 59 service aces.
Off the court, the Los Angeles, California, native is an undergrad researcher for The Hong Lab in Pittsburgh and a member of the Plaidvocates. As a member of the Plaidvocates, Tummala provides peer mentorship by promoting informed, responsible decisions around health and performance for fellow student-athletes. She is also a campus captain for The Hidden Opponent, collaborating with a global network of 900+ student-athletes to drive mental health advocacy efforts.
Tummala is also a hospital elder life program volunteer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) engaging hospitalized adults in cognitive stimulation activities and is part of the Do-Crew volunteer network where she promotes patient dignity and well-being by providing hair-washing services to individuals unable to perform self-care during hospitalization.