KANSAS CITY, Mo./CHICAGO -- Three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete Talia Messana was one of six members of the University of St. Francis volleyball team to gain that distinction for 2025 and one of eight to secure placement on the recently-released Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Academic Team for this past fall.

Messana was joined by repeat choice Sarah Schmidt on the NAIA Scholar-Athlete list.  First-time honorees included Olivia Cosgrove, Riley Hungate, Ann Simon and Alyssa Teske.

In order to receive that recognition, nominees must be a sophomore or above in academic standing, must have been in attendance at the nominating institution for one full academic year and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher at the time of the nomination deadline.

On the CCAC honor roll, the sextet added teammates Bailey Baird and Celeste Zavala to the group.  It marked the first time Zavala - a senior defensive specialist - was awarded the recognition by the league office, while Baird - a senior outside hitter - received the award for the second straight year.

To be nominated for the CCAC award, a student-athlete must have been enrolled at his school for a minimum of one academic year, have completed at least 30 semester hours and boast no less than a 3.25 cumulative grade point average.

Messana, a senior setter, gained the three-peat on both awards.  She is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Nursing.  Schmidt, a junior right side hitter, was the lone Saint to receive both awards for the second time.

Cosgrove, Hungate, Simon and Teske all gained the set of recognitions for the first time.  Cosgrove is a sophomore middle hitter majoring in Health Care Management, while Hungate is a senior outside hitter seeking a degree in Values-Based Management.  Simon - a sophomore libero - is a Marketing major, and Teske - a sophomore setter/right side hitter - is majoring in Biology.

Hungate was also one of only seven players among the 79 individuals dotting the league list to boast a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average.

For the CCAC academic awards release, go to RELEASE.
For the complete CCAC academic awards list, go to LIST.

For the NAIA academic awards release, go to RELEASE.
For the complete NAIA scholar-athlete awards list, go to LIST.

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