News Release

Brittany Biddle Selected to 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II Volleyball Third Team

Junior volleyball standout Brittany Biddle (Claymont, Del./Concord) became the second student-athlete in Wilmington University history to earn Academic All-American honors as she was selected to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America Division II Volleyball Third Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Wednesday.

The Capital One Division II Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structures, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2012-13 DII Academic All-America® teams program.

Biddle, the first Wilmington University volleyball student-athlete to be named Capital One All-District I First Team last season, became the first repeat student-athlete on the All-District I team in program history. She now becomes the first volleyball player to earn All-American status as well. She continued to hold her perfect 4.0 grade point average through the fall semester while progressing towards obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education: K-6.

The junior middle hitter was second on the team and third in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference in blocks (119) and blocks per set (0.98), respectively. She also finished fourth in the CACC in block assists (87) and fifth in solo blocks (32). Biddle, a two-time Second Team All-CACC honoree, led the team and was fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.274) while averaging 1.66 kills per set.

Biddle joins current Wilmington University softball standout Katie Warrington as the lone Wildcats to be named Capital One Academic All-American, as Warrington was named Second Team in the spring of 2012 and Third Team in 2011.

The middle hitter helped lead the Wildcats to its best overall record in school history, 28-6, while also going 18-1 in the CACC and earning the South Division Regular Season Championship. The Wildcats advanced to the CACC Tournament Championship match for the second time in program history this season.

About Capital One:
Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $216.5 billion in deposits and $294.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of March 31, 2012. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One and ING Direct offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.

Capital One, an NCAA Corporate Champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN’s Capital One Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot team, Capital One Academic All Program, and supports all 89 NCAA Championships including the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics programs.

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 16,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com

AGATE:

Capital One 2012 Academic All-American Division II Volleyball Teams

First Team:
Brooke Burmeister, SW Minnesota State, Sr., Lakefield, Minn. – 3.77, Environmental Science
*Jennifer Costello (1), Missouri Science & Tech, Sr., St. Louis, Mo. – 4.00, Chemical Engineering
Ellie Duffy, Concordia-St. Paul, Sr., Fridley, Minn. – 3.96, Math, Biology
Meghan Franz (3), California (Pa.), Sr., Cranberry Twp., Pa. – 3.91, Secondary Education
Lauren Hagemeyer, BYU-Hawaii, Sr., Ridgway, Colo. – 3.90, Exercise & Sport Science
Grace Krauser (1), Wingate, Sr., Louisville, Ky. – 4.00, Sociology

Second Team:
Jillian Carlberg, Lewis, Sr., Urbandale, Iowa – 3.96, Computer Graphic Design
Hannah Heeter, Clarion, Jr., Seneca, Pa. – 3.99, Pre-Med, Biology
Samantha Lukralle, USC-Aiken, Sr., Lundenhurst, N.Y. – 3.97, Nursing
Heidi Luks, Arkansas-Fort Smith, Sr., Tallinn, Estonia – 3.86, Biology
Ashley Sarmiento (2), Tusculum, Jr., Dayton, Ohio – 3.91, Mathematics, Math Ed. (K-12)
Anne Sutton (3), Ferris State, Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich. – 3.91, Master Business Admin.

Third Team:
Brittany Biddle, Wilmington, Jr., Claymont, Del. – 4.00, Elementary Education
Lindsay Biggs, Eckerd, Jr., Topeka, Kan. – 3.77, Biology
Meghan Cautero, Anderson (S.C.), So., Naples, Fla. – 4.00, Pre-Engineering
Kristen Preach, Grand Canyon, Gr., Phoenix, Ariz. – 3.54, Communications
Brittany Snider, Ashlan, Sr., Olmsted Falls, Ohio – 3.52, Biology
Gao Xuan, Lock Haven, Sr., Dong Ying, China – 3.63, Accounting

* - Capital One Academic All-American of the Year
(1) – Capital One Academic All-America 1st Team in 2011
(2) – Capital One Academic All-America 2nd Team in 2011
(3) – Capital One Academic All-America 3rd Team in 2011

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 - Newark, Del.