GREENWOOD, Ind.- After winning an NJCAA National Championship on the court this Fall, Florida SouthWestern Volleyball players Barbara Koehler and Julia Lawrenz earned the ultimate off the court honor on Monday as the pair was named 2023 CSC Academic All-Americans, an honor that goes to just 11 two-year student-athletes across all sports nationwide. Furthermore, the duo was the only pair of teammates of any program in the country to receive the honors.
Koehler completes an award trifecta for her sophomore season that now includes NJCAA National Player of the Year, NJCAA National Tournament Most Valuable Player, and CSC Academic All-American. On the court Koehler finished in the Top 10 Nationally with 3.74 kills per set for the National Champs while her .324 hitting percentage was tops of any of the country's Top 10 attackers. A six rotation player, Koehler contributed in all facets of the game, pulling up 2.68 digs per set and averaging 0.48 blocks per set while also proving a weapon at the service line where she dialed up 0.54 aces per set which ranked in the Top 20 in the country. Her dominance continued into the postseason as she led FSW to a perfect 6-0 mark, dropping just one set in the process, while recording double digit kills in all four National Tournament matches, including a 12 kill, 15 dig double-double in the Bucs National Championship victory over Miami Dade. She finishes her FSW career as the Bucs all-time kills and aces leader with 590 and 78 respectively. In the classroom Koehler was equally as accomplished, earning NJCAA, FCSAA, and Suncoast Conference Academic Awards. She posted a 3.78 overall GPA in her time at FSW as a Psychology major. She will continue her academic and athletic career next season at Wichita State University.
Lawrenz had an outstanding season on both sides of the net for the Bucs, averaging 2.01 kills and 1.27 blocks per set on the year while hitting an NJCAA best .416. She was one of just four players in the NJCAA Division I ranks to average at least 2.00 kills and 1.25 blocks per set this season. Like Koehler, Lawrenz rose to the occasion when the lights were the brightest, hitting .500 and registering eight blocks in two matches to lead FSW to their first FCSAA State Championship in program history, taking home Tournament MVP honors, before continuing her strong play at the NJCAA National Tournament where she notched 20 blocks in four matches, including eight in the Bucs National Championship win over Miami Dade. Lawrenz is the only player in FSW history to record two 100 block seasons and finishes her career as the Bucs all-time blocks leader with 205. Off the court Lawrenz excelled as a Nutrition major, graduating with a 3.91 GPA while earning NJCAA, FCSAA, and Suncoast Conference All-Academic Team honors. She will continue her academic and athletic career next season at the University of Hawaii where she will compete for the Rainbow Wahine Beach Volleyball team.
The CSC College Division Academic All-American Team is comprised of 11 individuals from all sports, at all five levels (NJCAA Division I, NJCAA Division II, NJCAA Division III, CCCAA, NWAC) of two-year athletics across the country. FSW was one of just two schools Nationally that had two student-athletes recognized (Johnson County) and Koehler and Lawrenz comprised the only teammate combo across the country to be honored.
Koehler and Lawrenz are Academic All-Americans number two and three in FSW Volleyball history, joining Fiona Baker who was a 2022 selection.
Overall, FSW has now had seven Academic All-Americans since the 2020 season, the most of any two-year school in the country.
2023 CSC WOMEN'S COLLEGE DIVISION ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN TEAM