CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Four members of the 2024 Western Carolina volleyball team were selected among an elite list of NCAA Division I student-athletes on Tuesday afternoon. Senior Ollie Henderson, juniors Katie Boney and Ali Morris, and sophomore Zoe Zudans were each named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
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 advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on Jan. 14, 2025.
Senior libero Ollie Henderson holds a 3.90 cumulative grade point average as an elementary education major. She was one of six Catamounts to play played in all 29 matches while earning the start in 15 contests as a libero. Henderson was a mainstay on the back line with 47 digs and 15 service aces on the season.
Henderson posted a season-high seven digs in a home matchup against The Citadel while tallying five digs against Cleveland State in WCU's season-opening weekend. The Simpsonville, S.C. native tallied a career-high three aces as part of a five-set win over American. She is a multi-time honoree on the WCU Chancellor & Dean's List and has garnered multiple Honor Roll and Commissioner Medal awards from the SoCon.
Sophomore outside hitter Zoe Zudans has a 3.89 cumulative GPA as a double major in mathematics and integrated health sciences. She saw action in 28 matches with seven starts throughout the 2024 season. She recorded 177 kills, including seven matches with double-digit kills, along with 75 digs on the defensive end.
Zudans recorded her first career double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs during the regular-season finale against Chattanooga. She finished with double-digit kills seven times highlighted by a career-high 22 against chromatic rival Furman. The Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. native had 23 blocks on the season including a season-high four against the College of Charleston to begin the season. Zudans was named to the league's honor roll list and received the WCU Chancellor's Medal during her first season in Cullowhee.
Junior outside hitter Ali Morris carries a 3.85 cumulative GPA as an integrated health sciences major. She was one of two players to start all 29 matches and one of three to see action in all 103 sets. In 2024, she filled the stat sheet with a team-high 330 kills, ninth in the SoCon, and the second-most digs at 377. Morris finished sixth in the conference with 3.20 kills per set.
Morris finished the campaign with a team-high 15 double-doubles that included setting career-high with 25 kills and matching her career-high with 26 digs in a five-set win over The Citadel to begin SoCon play. The Knoxville, Tenn. native was named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week for her performance against the Bulldogs. She recorded double-digit kills in 20 matches and led the team 18 times. She's now garnered two CSC All-District Honors in her WCU career after earning the honor in 2023. She is a multi-time honoree on the WCU Chancellor & Dean's List and has garnered multiple Honor Roll and Commissioner Medal awards from the SoCon.
Sophomore setter Katie Boney holds a 3.89 cumulative GPA as a management major. The Milton, Ga. native dished out a team-high 543 assists which ranked ninth in the SoCon. She saw action in 27 matches with six starts and played in 95 sets. She averaged a team-high 5.72 assists per set average to finish 10th in the SoCon.
Boney posted a career-high 51 helpers in a home bout with Furman that saw her also set a career-high with 15 digs on the defensive end. She eclipsed double-digit assists in 23 matches while tallying seven double-doubles. Boney had 196 digs with double figures eight times. She added 16 service aces and seven blocks for the Catamounts. Boney garnered 2023-24 SoCon Commissioner Medal honors while being named to the honor roll and earning a chancellor's medal with WCU.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount volleyball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts, @catamountvb), and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountvb).
