GREENWOOD, Ind. (Dec. 17) – Four Denison University volleyball student-athletes were listed on the 2024 Division III College Sports Communicators All-District® Women's Volleyball Teams which were released by the organization on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
The 2024 Academic All-District® Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Earning the recognition for a second-straight year were senior Cailey Johns and junior Alice Kempf. Sophomores Ayla Dunbar and Claire Hamilton earned the honor for the first time in their collegiate careers. 

Both Kempf and Hamilton were selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced January 14, 2025. 
 
Johns holds a 3.92 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in Environmental Studies and Economics. In the classroom, Johns has earned Denison Top 50 Scholar-Athlete twice, is a three-time member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll and is a 2023-24 Chi Alpha Sigma inductee. Johns worked as an intern last summer at AIG with Lexington Insurance Company in Chicago. On the court, Johns earned All-NCAC honors for a second-straight season. Johns led all NCAC players with a .314 hitting percentage. She finished as the team leader in total blocks (44) and chipped in 203 kills, which ranked third on the Big Red. She produced her season best in kills with 15 against John Carroll on Sept. 21. Johns registered a season-high six total blocks in Denison's win over Wittenberg in the NCAC Tournament semifinals. Johns is a student employee in the Mitchell Center, a member of the Organizational Studies Program, a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Group and a cohort leader for Women in Business. Johns is a senior fellow for the environmental studies program and a teaching assistant for the environmental analysis program.
 
Kempf has compiled a 3.98 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in Communication. On the court, Kempf earned First Team All-NCAC and a spot on the 2024 NCAC All-Tournament Team. Kempf led the NCAC in assists per set (9.10) and racked up 965 total assists. She helped the Big Red lead the conference in points, kills and assists as a team. Kempf recorded two of the highest single-game assists totals this year in NCAA Division III. Kempf notched 65 assists in a five-set win over DePauw on Sept. 28. This was a week after tallying 64 assists in a five-set loss to John Carroll. This marks the second All-NCAC honor for Kempf, who secured Third Team honors as a sophomore. As a student, Kempf has made the Dean's List four times and the NCAC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first two academic years. Kempf was recognized last spring as a 2023-24 Denison University Top 50 Scholar-Athlete. In addition, Kempf was a recipient of the 2022-23 Phi Society Award. Kempf is also active in serving the community, as she has participated through her sorority, Delta Gamma, to support Service For Sight. 
 
Dunbar has compiled a 3.88 cumulative grade-point average with a double major in Psychology and Health, Exercise, and Sports Studies. She has earned Dean's List recognition twice and a spot on the 2023-24 NCAC Academic Honor Roll. The sophomore has been a part of Mission 34, DU Votes and a volunteer for Special Olympics events on campus. Dunbar put together a breakthrough season as a sophomore to pick up her first All-NCAC honor. Dunbar ranked third in the NCAC with 2.85 kills per set. Her 36 service aces rank her in the top 12 in the conference and third best on the Big Red. Dunbar has chipped in 229 digs and 12 blocks to her stat totals. Dunbar registered a career-high 21 kills in a NCAC Tournament semifinals victory over Wittenberg on Nov. 15. 
 
Hamilton, a Biology major with a 3.90 cumulative grade-point average at Denison, has been listed on the Dean's List twice and 2023-24 NCAC Academic Honor Roll. Hamilton is also an inductee into the Phi Society Academy.  Hamilton put together a standout season on the court for the Big Red. The sophomore earned First Team All-NCAC honors and garnered selected as the NCAC Volleyball Athlete of the Week twice during the fall season. Hamilton earns all-conference accolades for a second-straight season. Hamilton leads the conference with 3.62 kills per set and 384 total kills. Hamilton recorded double-digit kills 20 times and surpassed 20 kills on five occasions. She posted a career-high 29 kills in Denison's five-set win over DePauw in its conference opener on Sept. 28.

To be eligible for CSC Academic All-District, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and must be a standout in competition. Eligible nominees must compete in 90 percent of the institution's matches played OR must start in at least 66 percent of the institution's matches. Liberos, although not counted in stats as a starter, may be counted as such for nominating purposes. Volleyball programs are limited to four student-athlete nominations on CSC Academic All-District Teams.