McLean County Times

Illinois State University volleyball players Mekaila Aupiu, Aida Shadewald, and Maggie McCrary have been recognized for their academic and athletic achievements by being named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Teams. The announcement was made by the league office on Tuesday.

Mekaila Aupiu, a senior majoring in environmental systems science & sustainability, was selected for the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. She maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA while excelling on the court. Aupiu led the NCAA with 1,368 assists and was ranked 45th nationally with an average of 10.13 assists per set. Her performance earned her the title of MVC Setter of the Year. Throughout the season, she achieved over 35 assists in 26 matches and recorded a career-high of 57 assists against Missouri State during the MVC Tournament.

Aida Shadewald, a junior majoring in molecular and cellular biology, also earned a spot on the First Team with an impressive GPA of 3.96. As an outside hitter, she led Illinois State with 385 kills in 2024 and set a personal record of 3.56 kills per set. Shadewald's contributions included 46 service aces over the season.

Graduate student Maggie McCrary was named to the Second Team while pursuing her Master's degree in criminal justice sciences with a perfect GPA of 4.00. In her only season with Illinois State, McCrary contributed significantly to her team with 107 kills and added defensive skills through digs and blocks.

The scholar-athlete selections were determined by votes from the conference's sports information directors based on criteria that include maintaining at least a 3.50 GPA and participation in most of their team's matches.

Illinois State concluded its season with an overall record of 17-16 and an MVC record of 11-7, reaching the semifinals of the MVC Tournament before losing to UNI.

For further updates on Illinois State volleyball, visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on various social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.