Craig earns second career Academic All-District honor
Senior Teresa Craig has been impressive both in the classroom and on the volleyball court during her career at Tech, and she recently earned Academic All-District First Team honors this season as a result.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Whenever volleyball head coach John Blair talks about Teresa Craig, the conversation usually focuses on one word - intelligence. The senior has excelled both on the court and in the classroom at Tennessee Tech, and for the second year in a row, Craig has been named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District.
After earning second team honors last year, Craig was named to the first team this season, meaning that she will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration later this month.
"We knew a lot of what she would bring when we signed her," Blair said. "We thought she was prepared to be a college student-athlete, and she has done nothing but prove us right."
In her three years at Tech, Craig has maintained a 4.0 grade point average in political science. According to Blair, her intelligence on the volleyball court rivals her intelligence in the classroom.
"Her smarts carry over from the classroom to the court," Blair said. "She's in the right place at the right time and understands the intricacies of the game. Her preparation for the game gives her a good feel for making plays."
So far this season, Craig has 143 kills and a .195 hitting percentage - both career highs. The Muncie, Ind., native also has 198 digs this season to give her 949 for her career. Craig, who has played in every set this season except for one which she missed because she was taking the LSAT, will likely finish her career in the top-five for sets played in Golden Eagle history. Craig has played in 430 sets at Tech and needs to play in just 10 more to move into fifth place.
Craig is the sixth Golden Eagle in the history of the program to earn Academic All-District honors and the fifth to earn the distinction more than once. The right-side hitter was one of just two players from the Ohio Valley Conference to be honored.
"It's nice to be honored because as student-athletes, we put in a lot of time to get good grades," Craig said. "You definitely have to make sure that you're priorities are in line, and it teaches you good time management skills."
Along with this honor, Craig has also been named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll each of her three years at Tech in addition to being named to the Tennessee Tech Athletic Director's Honor Roll in each of her six semesters as a Golden Eagle.
Craig, the daughter of Jack and Valeria Craig, is on track to graduate from Tennessee Tech in the spring and plans on attending law school following her graduation.
Craig and the Golden Eagles will take the court tonight in their first match of a two-match homestand. Tech plays Tennessee State beginning at 7 p.m. at Eblen Center.
