Nov. 6, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – For the third time in as many seasons Notre Dame volleyball senior Justine Stremick has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V First Team, released Thursday. Stremick was a second-team choice in 2007 and a third-team selection as a sophomore in 2006.
With her selection to the first team, Stremick is now eligible for Academic All-America honors.
The Langdon, N.D., native boasts a 3.79 cumulative grade-point average as a math and life science major and is the only BIG EAST Conference player to collect first-team honors this season. She plans on attending medical school next fall.
“We’re very proud of Justine and her accomplishments both on and off the court,” Irish head coach Debbie Brown said. “Especially considering the circumstances she’s had to endure over the past several months. Overcoming her knee injury is quite a testament to the type of determined student-athlete that she is.”
A 2008 preseason all-BIG EAST choice after receiving second-team all-league nods in 2007, Stremick is currently sixth on Notre Dame’s list for both career hitting percentage (.297) and blocks/set (1.17). She leads the team and ranks among the league’s best with 1.03 blocks/set this season. After surgically repairing her anterior cruciate ligament in April, Stremick returned to the court one month ahead of schedule with the help of team trainer Chantal Porter and had eight bocks in her season debut against No. 16 Cal Poly (Sept. 12). She recorded eight blocks and a .444 hitting clip versus Western Michigan (Sept. 21). Stremick had seven kills on .600 attack percentage at Georgetown (Sept. 28) and has recorded a hitting average greater than .300 in six of 18 matches played this season.
Stremick currently has 402 career blocks (81 solo, 321 block assists) and is the 11th player in program history to record at least 400 stuffs. She sits at the No. 10 spot with Malinda Goralski (1998-01). Current Irish volunteer assistant coach Emily Loomis (2001-04) is ninth all-time with 409 blocks.
Stremick’s twin sister and Army outside hitter, Briana, also notched first-team honors. Briana is a mechanical engineering major.
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