Nebraska middle blocker Kori Cooper was recognized for her athletic and academic success on Thursday, as she garnered ESPN the Magazine first-team Academic All-District VII honors.

Cooper, a speech language pathology major who carries a 3.81 GPA, was selected to the Academic All-District VII team for the second straight year. She will now advance to the national ballot and will look to become a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American after earning first-team honors in 2008. Cooper will look to add to Nebraska's NCAA-leading 35 Academic All-Americans in volleyball, which is the most by any female program in the NCAA.

This season, Cooper has bounced back from season-ending knee surgery last year to help the Huskers to a 17-6 mark and a No. 10 ranking. She is averaging 2.30 kills and 0.84 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage. In league play, she is third in the conference with a .362 hitting percentage. Cooper has had four matches with at least 10 kills, including a career-high 16 kills on .414 hitting against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. A four-year starter, Cooper has 652 kills and 293 blocks at Nebraska and ranks seventh all-time with a career .361 hitting percentage.

In the classroom, she is a seven-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor roll and has been active in NU's Life Skills program, speaking at schools and volunteering at retirement homes.

Courtesy: Nebraska Media Relations