FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Thursday, December 13, 2001)

ALEXIS KEELER NAMED VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN IN VOLLEYBALL
(Also Named Phi Beta Kappa at Wesleyan)

Alexis Keeler, a senior at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., and a resident of Santa Monica, Calif., was named a Verizon College Division Third-Team Academic All-American in volleyball, it was announced today. The Verizon All-American teams are selected by a national panel of college sports information directors following district selections on the regional level. To be eligible, a player must have a GPA of 3.20 or better on a 4.00 scale.

A first-team choice in District I from a pool of 66 nominees, Keeler was one of six players from her district to move on to the national ballot of 48 players. From there, 18 players were named to one of three six-member teams with Keeler chosen for the third team. She was the only player from District I to receive national recognition. Keeler joins Liz Gilbert, a 1992 Wesleyan graduate who was a third-team academic All-American in 1991, as the University's only volleyball honorees.

Keeler, a middle hitter, led Wesleyan to a team-record 30-6 mark and a first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Championship. There Wesleyan won a first-round match against Western Connecticut before being eliminated by Williams College in a five-game, second-round match. Keeler was second on the team in kills (548) and hitting percentage (37.9) while leading the team in aces (a team-record 144). She also ranked second in blocks with 105 and digs with 385. She was named first-team all-NESCAC as well as the NESCAC Player of the Year. She also was a first-team New England Women's Volleyball Association Division III all-star.

Keeler holds Wesleyan career records for kills (1,505), aces (361) and digs (1239) and is second in blocks (410). Her career hitting percentage is 30.6. Over the last two seasons, Keeler was named to all-tournament teams seven times and was tournament MVP twice at the nine tournaments in which Wesleyan was a participant.

Keeler also was one of 14 Wesleyan students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa this fall.

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