Boyd Earns Second Straight CSC Academic All-America Third Team Honor

Becomes third in program history to earn accolade multiple times

1/13/2026 11:00:00 AM

CSC Release

GREENWOOD, Ind. - For the second straight season, senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) of the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team, announced by the organization Tuesday, Jan. 13. Boyd becomes the third student-athlete in program history to earn the honor multiple times, and the seventh overall honoree.

The senior elementary education major holds a 3.76 GPA, and joins the list of Kirstin Rajala (1988 - first team, 1989 - first team) and LeAnn Genzel (1997 - second team, 1998 - first team) as Titans to receive the accolade multiple times. It is the seventh Academic All-America honoree for the program, as Elise LoBue was a third team selection in 1996 to round out the recipients. Boyd boosts head coach Kim Nelson-Brown's total to five.

A co-captain on one of the most successful teams in program history, Boyd helped guide IWU to an overall record of 28-3, the most wins in Nelson-Brown's 30-year tenure, and the most since 1989. The senior libero spearheaded IWU's defense, as she finished with 461 digs, the 16th-most in a season all-time, an average of 4.52 per set, which is the 10th-best season average in program history. Boyd finished third on the team in assists with 112, an average of 1.10 per set, and added 23 aces.

This season saw the Mt. Pleasant, Mich native become the first libero in program history to earn American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week honors, receiving the award Sept. 2. She was twice named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 2 & Nov. 3), and was a First Team All-CCIW honoree. Boyd helped the Titans win their first back-to-back CCIW regular season and tournament championship, and led the Green and White back to the NCAA Regional Championship for the second straight season, tying the program's best finish. Boyd achieved all of this while serving as a student teacher for the duration of the semester.

Boyd was one of two CCIW student-athletes on the list, as Carthage's Jenna Damon was a second team honoree.

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