GREENWOOD, Ind. – App State senior
Lulu Ambrose, redshirt junior
Addison Heidemann, and juniors
Kenady Roper and
Maya Winterhoff were named to the 2024 Academic All-District Women's Volleyball Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, on Tuesday.
Ambrose, a general marketing major, surpassed 1,000 career kills this fall, capping her career at App State with 1,145. The Fort Mill, S.C., native totaled 301 kills on the year, averaging 2.69 per set. She also made 41 blocks (three solo, 38 assists) for the Mountaineers. Ambrose matched her career high of 21 kills, previously set on Nov. 4, 2022, in the Mountaineers' 3-2 victory over Georgia Southern on Oct. 18. She also recorded a career-high seven blocks against Winthrop on Sept. 13 and a career-high 12 digs against Ohio on Aug. 31. Ambrose, who made 22 starts and appeared in all 112 sets this fall, previously earned the Academic All-District honor in 2022.
This fall, Heidemann was a two-time Sun Belt Setter of the Week selection, the Mountaineers' first since the 2019 season, and collected Second Team All-SBC honors for her efforts on the court. Studying exercise science, Heidemann tallied 906 assists on the season, averaging 8.88 assists per set. She also tallied 11 double-doubles. Against Davidson on Sept. 21, Heidemann helped the Mountaineers to a team hitting percentage of .423. Additionally, Heidemann made a career-high 61 assists in the Black and Gold's Nov. 9 clash with Marshall and served up a career-high six aces against Coastal Carolina on Oct. 25. The Diller, Neb., native ranked fourth in the Sun Belt in the assists category and seventh in the aces category. She appeared in 26 matches and 102 sets for the Mountaineers during the 2024 campaign.
Roper and Winterhoff each earned their second consecutive CSC Academic All-District nods, with both having received the honor in 2023. Roper, a human services major, totaled a team-high 352 digs on the season, averaging 3.14 digs per set. She also recorded 85 assists and 21 aces on the year, while appearing in all 28 matches and 112 sets. During nonconference play, Roper earned a spot on the Black & Gold Invitational All-Tournament Team after totaling 34 digs, 10 assists and two aces during the tournament. Roper is on the cusp of eclipsing 1,000 career digs, currently standing at 997 digs. The Morganton, N.C., native also has 210 career assists.
Over the course of the season, Winterhoff collected Preseason All-SBC, First Team All-SBC and AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention accolades. She also earned spots on the Bobcat Invitational and Mountaineer Classic All-Tournament Teams. Studying elementary education, Winterhoff led the Sun Belt with a hitting percentage of .372 and led the Mountaineers with 319 kills on the season, averaging 2.85 kills per set. Additionally, Winterhoff led the Mountaineers and rounded out the Sun Belt's top 10 in the blocks category, totaling 108 blocks (18 solo, 90 assists) on the fall. The Charlottesville, Va., native recorded a career-high 20 kills on Nov. 2 against Georgia State and matched her career high of nine blocks twice this season. She also started all 28 matches and appeared in all 112 sets this year. Over her career at App State, Winterhoff has recorded 811 kills and a hitting percentage of .377. She also has 340 career blocks (65 solo, 275 assists) and 206 career digs.
The Mountaineers went 18-10 (11-3 SBC) and clinched the Sun Belt East Division title with a 10-2 division record. The Black and Gold made its first appearance in the Sun Belt Tournament semifinal round and first appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Tournament since 2018.
To be nominated for CSC Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA at their current institution and have played in at least 90 percent of the team's contests or must start in at least 66 percent of the team's contests. Select 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.
