Duo first in program history to earn academic honors

RINDGE, N.H. (November 14, 2002) - Two members of the Franklin Pierce volleyball team earned spots on the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District I College Division Volleyball second team. The teams are selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members from throughout the Northeast.

Senior captains Mandy Johnson (Orange, Mass./Maher Regional) and Catrina Cuevas (Aurora, Colo./J.I. O'Neill) both earned sports on the second team and are two of just 12 student-athletes selected out of 69 nominees from Divisions II and III in New England and New York. The pair are the first volleyball players at Franklin Pierce to earn Verizon Academic All-District accolades. The duo are also two of the five Division II players selected (all from the Northeast-10 Conference).

Johnson, a middle hitter, is the team's top performer on the 2002 squad, as she leads the team in kills (3.84 p/g), service aces (.93 p/g), blocks (.89 p/g) and kill percentage (.363). Her kills and service aces per game rank second in the Northeast-10, while her kill percentage ranks fifth.

A four-year tri-captain, Johnson is a two-time All-Northeast-10 Conference honoree and earned All-NECC honors her freshman season. She also became the first player in program history to earn NE-10 Player of the Week kudos after a week in which she led the team in kills (5.33 per game), service aces (1.11 p/g), blocks (0.56 p/g) and hitting percentage (.455), while also averaging 2.89 digs per game

Johnson is one of the top players in program history with 1,215 kills, 697 digs, 156 service aces and 407 career blocks for her career. She has averaged 3.99 career kills per game and has hit .310 for her career.

Johnson has earned a 3.30 cumulative grade point average while majoring in psychology at Franklin Pierce. She is also active in the College community, having organized Franklin Pierce's "Up All Night" and the 2002 Grand Monadnock Climb.

Cuevas, a setter and outside hitter, is also a four-year tri-captain. Not only one of the teams top defensive players, averaging 2.76 digs per game, but she is also a top playmaker, dishing 3.67 assists per contest.

Cuevas has tallied 1,010 assists, 578 kills and 716 digs in her four-year collegiate career.

Cuevas has earned a 3.58 cumulative GPA while majoring in sports and leisure service management at Franklin Pierce. She is a three-year member of SADD, serving as the secretary, is a member of the International Club, being elected treasurer this year. Cuevas participates in Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Pierce Pride, and the Latina Awareness Committee. Cuevas is involved with "Horse Power", an organization that helps mentally handicapped children work with horses and "SKIP", an after school program for elementary school children in the Monadnock region.

This past summer, Cuevas spent her time as an intern for the YMCA and earned the "Above and Beyond the Call" award for her efforts.

The Ravens wrapped up the regular season with its best finish in the Northeast-10 Conference since joining in 2000. The team compiled a 14-10 record overall, 6-8 in the NE-10. Franklin Pierce is awaiting a possible ECAC Division II Tournament berth.