NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State volleyball duo Mekaila Aupiu and Aida Shadewald were named CSC Academic All-District honorees, as announced by the organization on Tuesday.

The 2024 Academic All-District® 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.

Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Both Aupiu and Shadewald receive consideration for CSC Academic All-American honors to be announced next month.
 
First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced January 14, 2025.

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).

For all latest on Illinois State volleyball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on Twitter, 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.