MARSHALL, Minn.- The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) have named Southwest Minnesota State junior outside hitter, Taylor Reiss, to the District 7 Academic All-American team which was announced by CoSIDA on Thursday.

The announcement from CoSIDA recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

District 7 is made up of member schools from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA), and the Great American Conference (GAC).

Reiss, a native of Taunton, Minn., has started all 29 matches for SMSU this season and ranks fifth in the country with 4.92 kills per set. She has accumulated a 3.52 GPA as an exercise science major through her first two and half years at SMSU. The three-year letterwinner was also named the NSIC Player of the Year for a second straight season after earning first-team AVCA All-American honors as a sophomore last year.

Reiss tied an NSIC Tournament record with 31 kills in the Mustangs NSIC Quarterfinal victory over Upper Iowa on Wednesday night.

Reiss will now advance to the Academic All-America ballot, where first, second and third team All-Academic honorees will be selected next month.
 
Nominations and voting for the Academic All-America programs are conducted by members of CoSIDA.

SMSU (26-3, 17-3 NSIC) will look to clinch as spot in the NSIC Championship match for a second straight year as they travel to St. Paul, Minn., to face Augustana (23-8, 13-7 NSIC) in the semifinal round on Saturday at 12 p.m., in the Gangelhoff Center.

Southwest Minnesota State, located in Marshall, is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.