Moon Township, Pa. – Nov. 6, 2008 -  Senior libero Alaina Gibson (Muncie, Ind. / Muncie Burris) and sophomore middle blocker Amanda Graham (Melbourne, Fla. / Eau Gallie) of the Robert Morris University volleyball team were named to the ESPN The Magazine 2008 District II University Division Volleyball Academic All-American Team Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Gibson was named to the first team, while Graham was a second team honoree. By making the team, Gibson and Graham will be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.

In her four years as a starter for the Colonial volleyball team, Gibson owns a 3.87 cumulative grade point average as a human resource management major. This season, the senior libero became the all-time dig leader at Robert Morris with 1,802 digs. She leads the team with 365 digs and is second in the conference with 4.01 digs per game. She also ranks third on the team in service aces with 24 and is fourth in the career record books for service aces with 143.

Sophomore middle blocker Graham, owns a 3.98 cumulative grade point average as a nuclear medicine technology major. She leads the team in blocks with 75, including 65 block assists and 10 solo blocks. She is also second on the team and NEC in hitting percentage with a .305 average and sits second on the team in kills with 188.

In order to be eligible for All-District Academic All-America Team consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00. The student-athlete must have reached sophomore eligibility and academic standing at the institution and must have completed at least one full academic year. CoSIDA’s District II covers Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Under the guidance of six-year head coach Rob Thomas, Robert Morris heads to New Jersey and Connecticut this weekend to take on NEC foes Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 p .m. and Sacred Heart on Sunday, Nov. 9 also at 1:00 p.m.