Two graduate students, one junior honored

Northeast-10 Conference Fall 2012 Academic All-Conference Teams

RINDGE, N.H. (March 14, 2013) – Three Franklin Pierce University student-athletes have been named to the fall 2012 Northeast-10 Academic All-Conference Team in their respective sports, as announced recently by the Conference office. Men's soccer graduate student back Tom Leaver (Warwickshire, United Kingdom), women's soccer graduate student midfielder Aya Noguchi (Tokyo, Japan) and volleyball junior outside hitter Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.) were among 87 athletes across seven sports honored by the Northeast-10.

To be eligible for selection to the Academic All-Conference Team, a student-athlete must fulfill each of the following criteria: (1) participated in at least half of the team's competitions as a starter or significant contributor, (2) achieved a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale), and (3) completed at least one academic year at his/her current institution. The teams are chosen by the vote of a committee of athletic administrators and Faculty Athletic Representatives.

All three Franklin Pierce honorees earn Academic All-Conference Team selections for the first time in their career. For Leaver and Ray, the accolade comes in their first year of eligibility, as they had not spent one full academic year in Rindge prior to the 2011 selections. All three Ravens have previously been selected to the Northeast-10 Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.

Currently sporting a 3.93 graduate grade-point average while pursuing his MBA in sports and recreation management, Leaver started 17 games as a member of the back line for a Franklin Pierce squad which made its 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship, and its 18th overall, in 2012. Along the way, he collected two assists and attempted 16 shots, of which five wound up on goal.

Noguchi, who holds a 4.0 graduate grade-point average while pursuing her MBA in sports and recreation management and capped her undergraduate career with a 3.8 grade-point average, earned selections to the NSCAA All-East Region Second Team and the All-Northeast-10 First Team for her work on the field in 2012. She adds the Academic All-Conference Team selection to cap a three-year Franklin Pierce career which saw her earn All-East Region and All-Northeast-10 honors in each of her seasons in crimson and grey. In 2012, Noguchi started in all 18 games and finished with 12 points on four goals and four assists. Two of her goals were of the game-winning variety, and she attempted 36 shots, of which 12 were on goal.

Carrying a 3.91 grade-point average as a mass communications major, Ray became the volleyball program's first-ever All-Northeast-10 First Team selection while leading the 2012 squad to the program's first NCAA Championship berth. She finished the season ranked 52nd in the nation in aces per set (0.45), a figure which was also good for third in the Northeast-10, while her raw number of 58 aces led the Conference. Ray also finished 16th in the Northeast-10 in digs per set (3.30), 17th in points per set (3.26) and 20th in kills per set (2.51). She produced 12 double-doubles on the season and recorded 10-or-more kills on two additional occasions.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).