Duo earns Volleyball Academic All-Region accolades
AUSTIN, Texas -- A pair of standout Texas volleyball players - sophomore setter Michelle Moriarty and junior outside hitter Dariam Acevedo - were honored for their work off the court and have been voted to the regional all-academic team. Moriarty and Acevedo were both honored with spots on the ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-Region 6 Team, released on Thursday. Moriarty, an education major, was voted to the all-region first team, while Acevedo, a kinesiology major, was a second-team selection. As a first-team honoree, Moriarty will move on to the ballot for national Academic All-America consideration. To be eligible for consideration for any ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic award, student-athletes must hold at least sophomore athletic standing, earn a minimum of a 3.20 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and be a starter or significant contributor to her team. The Region 6 team includes schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Moriarty was an honorable-mention AVCA All-Region performer last year as a freshman, in addition to being an honorable mention All-Big 12 honoree. She was a 2005 Preseason All-Big 12 selection and is currently ranked 12th nationally in assists per game (13.29) and second in the Big 12 Conference. Texas is ranked 17th nationally in hitting percentage (.280) and third in the Big 12. Moriarty is a former Texas Gatorade High School Player of the Year and a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection. Acevedo, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, was the 2004 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and was also member of the Puerto Rican Junior National Team that won the 2002 NORCECA Championships. Prior to her transfer to Texas from Oregon in the summer of 2003, she was a member of the Pacific 10 all-conference honorable mention team, as well as an all-freshman selection. After her transfer, she was twice selected as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, in 2003 before a season-ending knee injury in her second match at Texas, and then again in 2004. Acevedo is currently ranked fifth in the Big 12 in kills per game (3.88), tied for sixth in aces per game (0.35) and fifth in points per game (4.61). Moriarty, Acevedo and the rest of the 11th-ranked Texas volleyball team (19-3, 13-2 Big 12) return to action on Saturday, Nov. 12, when they host Iowa State in a 7 p.m. match at UT's Gregory Gym.
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