July 5, 2006

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference released the 2006 All-ACC Academic Women's Lacrosse team announced today by Commissioner John D. Swofford. All six league schools competing in women's lacrosse are represented on the inaugural team, including nine student-athletes who received all-conference accolades.

To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during her academic career.

The Duke Blue Devils led all schools with nine honorees on this year's team. The Virginia Tech Hokies placed six student-athletes on the academic squad, followed by Boston College with five selections. Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia rounded out the inaugural team with four honorees apiece.

Players earning All-Conference honors this past spring were Duke's Katie Chrest, Leigh Jester, Michelle Menser and Kristen Waagbo, Maryland's Delia Cox, North Carolina's Melissa McCarthy, Virginia's Tyler Leachman and Nikki Lieb and Virginia Tech's Lindsay Pieper.

The Blue Devils' Katie Chrest, the recipient of the ACC Player of the Year for the second year in a row and a finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy, led the league in goals per game with 3.05 and was third in points per game at 3.95. With 64 goals in her senior campaign, Chrest became Duke's all-time leading scorer with 216 goals, surpassing Tricia Martin's previous record of 161 career goals. The senior attackman leaves Duke as the school career leader in points (287) and shots (528) and second in assists with 71.

Virginia's Nikki Lieb was tabbed Defensive Middie of the Year by Inside Lacrosse. Lieb, a first-team All-American and a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist, led the Cavaliers to their third conference championship and second in the last three years. The senior psychology major started all 19 games for Virginia leading the team in draw controls (43) and caused turnovers (22) and second on the team in groundballs (44).

In addition, Maryland's Delia Cox was named a second-team CoSIDA Academic District II All-American. Cox led the Terps in goals (60), points (82), shots (141) and shots on goal (105), while ranking second in assists with 22. Cox was also honored as a second-team All-American by IWLCA.

The 2006 All-ACC Academic Women's Lacrosse team is as follows:

2006 All-ACC Academic Women's Lacrosse Team