ST LOUIS, Mo. - Illinois State volleyball senior Mekaila Aupiu and junior Aida Shadewald were selected to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team, while graduate student Maggie McCrary landed a spot on the Second Team squad, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.

An environmental systems science & sustainability major, Aupiu boasts a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average.

On the court, Aupiu was one of the most consistent players in the Valley and nation as she finished the 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 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. 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.

Shadewald holds an impressive 3.96 grade-point average as a molecular and cellular biology major.

The junior outside hitter led the Redbirds in 2024 with 385 kills, setting a career-high mark of 3.56 kills/set. Shadewald recorded 22 matches with 10+ kills, including a season high 21 twice (at Milwaukee, at Murray State). She also contributed 46 service aces, including a career high five aces in two matches (at Illinois, vs Missouri State).

McCrary owns a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average while obtaining a Master's degree in criminal justice sciences.

In her lone season as a Redbird, McCrary finished 2024 with 107 kills (1.22 kills/set) while contributing 28 digs and 55 blocks. This season, McCrary finished with five-plus kills in 11 matches while totaling 14 matches with multiple blocks.

The selections were voted on by the conference's 12 sports information directors and nominees had to meet the College Sports Communicator's standards for Academic All-America nomination (3.50 GPA or higher, sophomore and up, played in at least 75% of team's matches).

Illinois State finished the 2024 season with an overall record of 17-16 and 11-7 in the MVC, falling in the semifinals of the MVC Tournament against UNI.

For all the latest on Illinois State volleyball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.