AUSTIN, Texas – Illinois State's Mekaila Aupiu has been named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Third-Team selection, the organization announced Tuesday. 

The senior becomes just the fourth Redbird in program history to be honored as an Academic All-American and the first since Ali Line in 2018.

On the court, Aupiu was one of the most consistent players in the Valley and nation as she finished the 2024 regular season ranked 1st in the NCAA with 1,368 assists and 45th in the nation at 10.13 assists per set. For her efforts on the court, Aupiu was named the MVC Setter of the Year, the third Redbird in program history to receive the accolade.

The senior reached 35+ assists in 26 of ISU's 33 matches in 2024, including a career high 57 assists versus Missouri State in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals. Aupiu recorded 15 matches with 45+ assists and became the first Redbird to have more than 1,000 assists in a season since 2019 when Stef Jankiewicz finished the year with 1,329.

Aupiu's 1,368 assists rank 14th all-time in Illinois State program history, while her 10.13 assists per set are sixth most in a Redbird career.

The senior setter was selected to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and named a CSC Academic All-District selection in the fall.

To be eligible for CSC's Academic All-America program, student athletes must be at least a sophomore both academically and athletically, must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale and participate in at least 90% or start in at least 66% of their team's matches. All-Americans are voted on by the organization's membership from its All-District teams.

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