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1st Team Academic All-American

University of Akron senior, Rachel Tecca  has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America® first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)

Tecca is UA's first women's basketball player ever to receive first team honors, after being named to the second team a year ago.

"I am very proud of Rachel for earning this prestigious award," said Akron head coachJodi Kest. "She has worked extremely hard both on and off the basketball court for the last five years to get to where she is today. I am honored and humbled to have coached such a well-rounded student-athlete."

Tecca maintains a 3.89 graduate GPA, as she is on track to complete her MBA this spring. The fifth-year senior received a bachelor's degree in marketing management from Akron in December of 2012.

On the court, Tecca has changed the face of the Akron women's basketball program. This season, she became the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder, consistently ranking in the nation's top-10 in points per game. Tecca is the second player in Mid-American Conference history to surpass 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career, and is one of just five active players in Division I to reach the milestone.

National and MAC Player of the Week

University of Akron forward, Rachel Tecca has been named NCAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week.

This is the first time in her career Tecca has earned the distinction.

Tecca averaged 28.0 points and 15.5 rebounds per game in Akron's two wins last week over Ohio and Eastern Michigan. She was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Week on Monday for her efforts.

Rachel Tecca Makes History

43 POINTS!!!

Rachel Tecca played arguably the most complete game of her career, setting numerous school records as Akron dominated Eastern Michigan in a 101-79 victory on the road Sunday afternoon.

Tecca broke the school's single-game scoring record with 43 points and added 22 rebounds, reaching double-double status by halftime. The last Akron player to record more than 20 rebounds in a game was Cheryl Bowles on Nov. 30, 1999 (21 vs. Youngstown State).

UA improved to 10-8 overall and 4-3 in the Mid-American Conference with the win, while EMU fell to 12-6 and 2-5 league play.

Tecca also became the first player in program history to surpass 2,000 points in a career with her first basket of the second half at the 19:23 mark. The senior's scoring frenzy came on a 14-of-23 performance from the field and a perfect 14-of-14 showing at the free throw line.

Kacie Reconized as One of Top PG's

University of Akron senior point guard, Kacie Cassell has been named to the watch list of candidates for the 2014 Nancy Lieberman Award, the Basketball Hall of Fame.

The award recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. Candidates exhibit the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman.

The Hall of Fame appointed a premier Selection Committee made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers to review the candidates. The list will be narrowed down to a final 20 in February, then final five by March. The Lieberman Award winner will be announced during Final Four weekend activities.

Cassell has captained UA's offense for the past two seasons, capping off a stellar junior campaign by leading the nation in assists per game and becoming the school's all-time and single-season assists leader.

In 2013-14, Cassell has again established herself as one of the top point guards in the Mid-American Conference. She leads the league in assists per game with 6.3, and is currently 16th in the country in the same category. The Vandalia, Ohio native also ranks sixth among active career assists leaders in Division I with 563.

Carly Young Earns Akron's 4th MAC Player of the Week Honor

University of Akron forward, Carly Young has been named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week.

This is the first time in her career that Young has received the weekly award from the conference, and the fourth time this season it has been given to an Akron player.

Young put together a career performance to lead the Zips to their ninth-straight win on their home floor on Saturday in an 88-70 triumph over George Mason.

The senior shot 60.0 percent from the field (9-for-15) for a career-high 26 points, including three 3-pointers, in just 28 minutes of action. Young also pulled down 12 rebounds, seven of which were on the offensive glass, for her third double-double of the season.

Rachel Tecca Doing Good Works

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Allstate Insurance Company announced the nominees for the 2014 Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® on Tuesday. The award recognizes a select group of college basketball student-athletes who have made significant contributions to the greater good of their communities through volunteerism and civic service.

University of Akron senior forward, Rachel Tecca, was recognized as one of 52 nominees for the award for Division I. She is the only representative from the Mid-American Conference in the class of nominees.

Hailing from nearby Tallmadge, Ohio, Tecca has become a staple in the Akron community as a familiar face for Zips women's basketball. Some of the service projects Tecca has been involved in over the past several years include: serving hot meals at local churches to less fortunate individuals; assisting the Special Olympics organization with its state-wide, annual bowling tournament; elementary school reading and pen pal programs to help strengthen grammar and handwriting skills for young children; and UA Relay for Life.