GREENWOOD, Ind. - The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced their Academic All-District Team for Volleyball on Tuesday afternoon with four Chatanooga players recognized. The sophomore trio of Mallory Merz, Kynli Kirkendoll, and Gracie Rose made the cut for the first time while junior Caiti Barthel also earned this award for the second year in a row. 

To receive this award, student-athletes must be in at least their second year of college and have at least a 3.4 cumulative GPA and either compete in 90% of their team's matches or start in at least 66% of them. 

Merz, a native of Melbourne, Florida, adds Academic All-District honors to her name after previously earning Dean's List and AD Honor Roll distinction as a Business Management major. On the court, she appeared in all 29 matches for the Mocs while accounting for 211 digs and 61 assists on the year, ranking fourth on the team in both statistical categories. 

Kirkendoll, who hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma and is majoring in Marketing, continues to make her mark in the classroom with Academic All-District recognition after being named to the Dean's List, AD Honor Roll, and Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll her freshman year. Playing in all 29 matches this year, Kirkendoll posted a team-high 108 total blocks, which ranked sixth in the conference. Additionally, Kirkendoll ranked third on the team in kills with 222 while holding a team-best .323 hitting percentage. 

Rose, who came to Chattanooga by way of Norcross, Georgia, also adds Academic All-District distinction to her name, continuing on what she achieved in year one where she was named to the Dean's List, AD Honor Roll, and Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll. Rose is working towards a degree in Sport Management. In 28 matches this season, Rose tallied 271 kills at a mark of 2.79 kills per set, which ranked second on the team. 

Barthel, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and a Marketing major, has now been named Academic All-District two years in a row. This adds to the hefty list of Academic honors she has earned during her time in Chattanooga which include the Dean's List, AD Honor Roll, Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll, and Academic All-Southern Conference. On the court, Barthel had a successful year tallying 548 digs in 29 matches, which led the Southern Conference. She ranked the second in the league in digs per set at 4.94. 

The 2025 Academic All-District Women's Volleyball Team, selected by the CSC, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field/court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes volleyball honorees in four divisions – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First, Second and Third-Team Academic All-America honorees for Volleyball will be announced on January 13, 2026.

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