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Swenson and Thibault Make CSC Academic All-District
12/16/2025 12:29:00 PM | Volleyball
Swenson will be up for Academic All-America honors
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota volleyball student-athletes Stella Swenson and Kate Thibault have been named to the CSC Academic All-District Team, the organization announced this week. The 2025 Academic All‐District Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognizes the nation's top student‐athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Stella Swenson earned her first CSC Academic All-District nod after earning a 3.55 GPA this year and will be up for Academic All-America honors. She is undeclared for her major. Swenson posted a banner first season in the Maroon and Gold, averaging 9.77 assists, 2.14 digs, 0.62 blocks, 0.59 kills and 0.30 aces per set in her first year as a starter, playing in all 34 matches. Swenson was named Second Team All-Big Ten, AVCA All-Northwest Region and Big Ten All-Freshman.
She posted eight double-doubles, including a career-best 58-assist, 10-dig outing in a five-set win at Iowa. She ranked eighth in the Big Ten in assists per set and was fifth amongst setters with 0.59 kills per set. She was the first Minnesota freshman to post 1,000 assists in her rookie season since her sister, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, did so in 2015. Stella was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 1 after being named to the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team. She was added to the AVCA Mid-Season Player of the Year Watch List as the only freshman there.
Kate Thibault, a junior defensive specialist from Watertown, Minn., earned her second CSC All-District honor in 2025. Also an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Thibault played in all 34 matches in her second season at Minnesota, posting 2.06 digs and 0.42 assists per set. She tallied nine 10+ dig matches during the 2025 season, including a season-high 19 vs. Cal Poly. Thibault, who is a sports management major, holds a 3.58 GPA.
The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women's Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes women's volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages. Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot.
Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced January 13, 2026.
For more information about the CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
The Gophers went 24-10 (12-8 Big Ten) in 2025, advancing to their 11th straight NCAA Tournament. The Gophers season ended on Dec. 11 in the Sweet 16 at Pitt.
Stella Swenson earned her first CSC Academic All-District nod after earning a 3.55 GPA this year and will be up for Academic All-America honors. She is undeclared for her major. Swenson posted a banner first season in the Maroon and Gold, averaging 9.77 assists, 2.14 digs, 0.62 blocks, 0.59 kills and 0.30 aces per set in her first year as a starter, playing in all 34 matches. Swenson was named Second Team All-Big Ten, AVCA All-Northwest Region and Big Ten All-Freshman.
She posted eight double-doubles, including a career-best 58-assist, 10-dig outing in a five-set win at Iowa. She ranked eighth in the Big Ten in assists per set and was fifth amongst setters with 0.59 kills per set. She was the first Minnesota freshman to post 1,000 assists in her rookie season since her sister, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, did so in 2015. Stella was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 1 after being named to the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team. She was added to the AVCA Mid-Season Player of the Year Watch List as the only freshman there.
Kate Thibault, a junior defensive specialist from Watertown, Minn., earned her second CSC All-District honor in 2025. Also an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Thibault played in all 34 matches in her second season at Minnesota, posting 2.06 digs and 0.42 assists per set. She tallied nine 10+ dig matches during the 2025 season, including a season-high 19 vs. Cal Poly. Thibault, who is a sports management major, holds a 3.58 GPA.
The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women's Volleyball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes women's volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. The CSC Academic All-District® teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages. Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot.
Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced January 13, 2026.
For more information about the CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
The Gophers went 24-10 (12-8 Big Ten) in 2025, advancing to their 11th straight NCAA Tournament. The Gophers season ended on Dec. 11 in the Sweet 16 at Pitt.
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