Dec. 2, 2009

NJIT senior libero Sabrina Baby was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Team third-team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Baby, a native of Brazil, is the NCAA Division I national individual leader with 6.27 digs per set (608 digs, 97 sets).

As one of 18 women's volleyball student-athletes honored this year as an Academic All-America, the NJIT senior with a 3.91 cumulative grade point average is a business major with a concentration in finance and marketing. She becomes the first Highlander student-athlete in any sport to receive Academic All-America laurels at the Division I level.

Baby, who was named the Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, started all 27 matches this season for the Highlanders, recording double-figures in each contest. Baby earned Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors three times during the 2009 season.

To close out Baby's career, she holds the NJIT Division I school records for: career digs (2,284), digs posted in a season (2008; 795), career services aces (189), service aces (71) in a season (2008), and digs in a four-set match (45) and a five-set match (42).

To be named Academic All-America, a student-athlete has to have been selected to its District's first team. Initial nomination criteria at the District level includes being a varsity starter or key reserve, maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, reaching sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by their sports information director.