By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Four players on the Willamette University women's volleyball squad have been chosen for the 2022 NCAA Division III Academic All-District Women's Volleyball Team, as voted by the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA). Willamette's Academic All-District selections were Olivia Cadien (So., OH, Mesa, AZ/Chandler Preparatory Academy), Steele Jasa (Sr., DS/S, Bend, OR/Summit HS), Lexi Martin (Sr., MH, Bellevue, WA/Interlake HS), and Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB, Honolulu, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute).
All of the Academic All-District selections are eligible to be chosen for the College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-America Team. Players nominated for the CSC All-District Team were starters or key reserves with cumulative grade point averages of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Each nominated student-athlete was at their current college or university for at least one academic year.
Willamette finished the season with an 11-11 overall record and tied for third place in the NWC at 10-6, one game behind the first place co-champions from the University of Puget Sound and Whitworth University. The Bearcats registered 896 kills (10.80 avg.) and 1,371 digs (16.52 avg.), while earning 119 team total blocks (1.43 avg.). Willamette earned key NWC victories over Puget Sound, 3-1 on Sept. 30 and Whitworth, 3-2 on Oct. 22, before closing out the season with 3-0 wins against Lewis & Clark College and George Fox University.
NCAA Division III Academic All-District
Olivia Cadien (So., OH) competed in all 22 matches and 83 sets. She led the Willamette offense with 297 kills and 3.58 kills per set. She also achieved 193 digs and 2.23 digs per set while contributing 29 service aces (0.35 avg.) and 29 total blocks (0.35 avg.). Cadien was credited with a career-high 22 kills against Linfield University on Sept. 16 and earned a career-high 19 digs versus Pacific Lutheran University on Oct. 1. She accumulated 10 or more kills in 18 matches this season. Her career totals for the Bearcats include 503 kills (3.12 avg.) and 59 service aces (0.37 avg.). She provided 258 career digs and 57 career blocks. Cadien is majoring in Chemistry and has achieved a 3.64 cumulative GPA.
Steele Jasa (Sr., DS/S) supplied Willamette with 195 digs and 2.35 digs per set this fall, while seeing action in all 22 matches and 83 sets. She also registered 13 service aces. During her career with the Bearcats she played in 205 sets and 62 matches. Jasa concluded her career with 417 digs (2.03 avg.) and 39 service aces (0.19 avg.). She attained a personal-high 18 digs against Whitman College on Sept. 24, 2021 and matched that total against Linfield on Sept. 16, 2022. She produced a career-high four service aces against Lewis & Clark on Oct. 30, 2022. Jasa has a 3.82 cumulative GPA. She is majoring in Biology.
Lexi Martin (Sr., MB/OPP) saw action in 18 matches and 63 sets this season. She recorded 82 kills for 1.30 kills per set. She also earned 22 total blocks, including five block assists versus Whitman on Oct. 21. During the same match, she tied a career high with 10 kills. Martin also supplied 12 kills against George Fox in 2019. Her career statistics, in 57 matches and 192 sets at Willamette, featured 266 kills (1.39 avg.) and 86 total blocks (0.45 avg.), including 11 solo blocks. Martin owns a 3.88 cumulative GPA and is majoring in Exercise and Health Science.
Shyla Sato (Sr., LIB) was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC for the second consecutive season. She excelled as the Bearcats' libero, accounting for 479 of the team's 1,371 digs (34.9%) and averaging a solid 5.77 digs per set. She also supplied 30 service aces (0.36 avg.) while playing in all 22 matches and 83 sets. Sato attained a career-high 41 digs against Pacific Lutheran on Oct. 29 for the second-highest total by a Bearcat since 2006. She was named to the St. Thomas All-Tournament Team this year. In her career, Sato provided 1,529 digs and 5.40 digs per set, while competing in 283 sets and 76 matches. She amassed 84 career service aces. As a secondary setter, she dished out 246 assists over the past four seasons. Sato was chosen NWC Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week a total of five times. She has recorded a 3.81 cumulative GPA with a major in Psychology.
