McLean County Times

Illinois State University's Mekaila Aupiu has been recognized as a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Third-Team selection, according to an announcement made on Tuesday. Aupiu is the fourth Redbird in the history of the program to earn this honor and the first since Ali Line in 2018.

Aupiu's performance on the court during the 2024 regular season was notable, as she led the NCAA with 1,368 assists and ranked 45th nationally with an average of 10.13 assists per set. Her achievements earned her the title of MVC Setter of the Year, making her only the third player from Illinois State to receive this accolade.

Throughout 2024, Aupiu consistently delivered strong performances, achieving over 35 assists in 26 out of Illinois State's 33 matches. She recorded a career-high of 57 assists against Missouri State during the MVC Tournament quarterfinals. In total, she managed 15 matches with more than 45 assists and became the first Redbird since Stef Jankiewicz in 2019 to surpass 1,000 assists in a season.

Her total of 1,368 assists places her at 14th all-time in Illinois State's program history, while her average of 10.13 assists per set ranks sixth for a Redbird career.

In addition to her on-court success, Aupiu was also named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team and received recognition as a CSC Academic All-District selection last fall.

Eligibility for CSC's Academic All-America program requires student-athletes to be at least sophomores academically and athletically, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 on a scale of 4.0, and participate in at least 90% or start in at least two-thirds of their team's matches. Selection for All-Americans is determined by votes from members based on their All-District teams.

For further updates on Illinois State volleyball, visit GoRedbirds.com or follow their social media channels.