Pohlod Named Academic All-American
AUSTIN, Texas – Rachel Pohlod of the Michigan Tech volleyball team was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Second Team Wednesday (Dec. 7) as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Pohlod, a senior from Pittsburgh, Pa., is one of only three players in Tech history to record over 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs in her career. She was an All-GLIAC First Team selection in 2016 after career highs in assists (1,238), digs (361), blocks (27), assists in a match (68), and digs in a match (27). Pohlod holds a 3.99 grade-point average in mechanical engineering.
"What a great honor for Rachel to be named an Academic All-American," Tech volleyball coach Matt Jennings said. "Having first coached Rachel for a short time when she was a junior in high school back in Pittsburgh, and with her career just having ended last month, it's amazing to see the extent of her growth and achievement. She has worked incredibly hard to achieve her level of excellence both on the court and in the classroom, and I couldn't be happier or more proud of her."
Pohlod's 1,238 assists in 2016 rank second in a single season in Tech history and were 16th in the nation. Her 3,107 career assists and 1,223 career digs both rank fourth in Tech history. She averaged 3.02 digs per set in her career—eighth in school history.
Pohlod ranked first in the GLIAC in assists per set and fourth in aces per set, leading all GLIAC setters in assists per set, digs per set, and aces this season. She was also a team co-captain and had 21 matches with double-digit assists and digs and 12 matches with over 45 assists.
"From an athletic standpoint, she was one of our top two or three overall athletes all four years," added Jennings. "When you look at all the different ways she made our team better on the court each season, it's impossible to see where we would be without her influence. The direction she helped steer the team each season and the improvements we made as a program during her career helped shape our program culture."
Tech finished 2016 with a 16-15 overall record and an 11-6 mark in the GLIAC. The Huskies have appeared in the GLIAC Tournament in back-to-back years, winning over 15 matches each season. They finished tied for fourth in the GLIAC standings and made an appearance in the regional rankings after playing one of the toughest schedules in all of NCAA Division II.