RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Four Cougars were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. Bethany Roethel (Westby, Wis.), Shaira Marin (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico), Lili Hunt (Greenfield, Ind.), and Brooke Christensen (Blaine, Minn.) were chosen to represent Concordia University Chicago (CUC) due to their excellence both on the field and in the classroom.
 
Student-athletes must have a 3.5 GPA or above to be nominated for CSC Academic All-District. Roethel, Marin, Hunt, and Christensen will now be moved forward to the CSC Academic All-America ballot for a chance to receive for first or second team recognition, which will be announced on January 14, 2025.
 
In her sophomore season, Roethel was a top libero for the program, appearing in 24 matches with 75 sets played. She led the team with 288 digs and tallied a career-high 26 digs against Lawrence (Sep. 14). She ranked eighth in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) with 3.84 digs per set. Roethel also totaled career-highs in aces (6), points (6), and assists (6) throughout the season.
 
Marin competed in her final season with the Cougars as a key member on the court. She appeared in 25 matches with 84 sets played. With a wicked serve, Marin ranked second on the team with 33 service aces on the year. Defensively, she also recorded the fifth-most digs with 178. Marin registered a career-high 15 digs against Fontbonne (Sep. 7). As a senior, she will graduate with a degree in Business Management.
 
Middle blocker Hunt appeared in 20 matches for the Cougars this season, totaling 63 sets. In her third season, she nabbed All-NACC honorable mention recognition. She ranked second on the team in points (182), points per set (2.89), kills (160), and blocks (37). Hunt was also sixth on the team in digs with 66. On Halloween, she totaled a career-high 16 kills against Marian.
 
A critical component of CUC's rotation, Christensen played in 25 matches with 82 sets played in 2024. She led the team in points (255.5), points per set (3.12), and kills (220). In addition, she ranked third on the team in service aces (26), fourth on the team in digs (183) and assists (16), and fifth on the team in blocks (19). Throughout her time as a Cougar, Christensen has been a NACC Scholar Athlete and will graduate with a degree in Spanish Education.
 
The CUC women's volleyball team finished their season 11-15 overall and 3-10 in conference. To keep up to date with all things Concordia women's volleyball, check out cucougars.com.