Originally Posted: July 27, 2016
Avery Acker graduated in December with a degree in accounting and minors in chemistry and biological sciences. She will begin medical school this month. Congratulations!
INDIANAPOLIS (SMU/NCAA) – SMU setter Avery Acker has been named the American Athletic Conference nominee for the Woman of the Year award, NCAA officials announced Wednesday. Acker, who graduated in December and begins medical school in August, led the NCAA in assists per set while directing the Mustangs to the conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Poth, Texas, native, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America selection and 2015 Academic All-American of the Year, led the Mustangs to a program-best 27 wins and the school’s first conference championship in 2015. SMU finished with a 27-6 mark overall and 17-3 record in conference play to earn The American’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Acker led the NCAA with 12.45 assists per set, while also setting an SMU and American single-season record with 1,482 assists.
A three-year starter and three-time captain, Acker was named The American Player of the Year and earned Setter of the Year honors for the second time in her career last fall. She also earned AVCA honorable mention All-America honors and AVCA All-Southeast Region accolades for the third straight year.
Acker finished with a 3.941 grade-point average as an accounting major with a minor in chemistry and biological sciences and graduated in December summa cum laude. She is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership and participates in community service projects at the Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas.
There are 141 conference nominees across all three NCAA divisions. The NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, nominees must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have completed eligibility in her primary sport.
Eligible female student-athletes are nominated by their member school. Each conference office then reviews the nominations from its member schools and submits its conference nominee to the NCAA. The NCAA Woman of the Year selection committee selects the Top 30 – 10 from each division and then three finalists from each division. The Committee on Women’s Athletics selects the winner from the Top 9. All 30 Woman of the Year honorees will be recognized, and the 2016 Woman of the Year announced, at an awards dinner at the Westin Indianapolis on Sunday, October 16, 2016.