Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell's Novacek Named Academic All-District First Team Honoree
2/5/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2009
Complete List of ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Selections 
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell women's basketball player Joyce Novacek (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) was selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday. Novacek is the first All-District First Team recipient since K.C. Vlah in 1995-96 and the first to be named to any All-District Team since Lindsey Hollobaugh was named to the Second Team in 2006-07.
In less than two years as a Bison, the sophomore forward has succeeded both on and off the court. Novacek carries a 3.94 cumulative grade point average and has twice earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average, including during the 2008 fall semester. A management major, Novacek was named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll last season. She also serves with Lauren Schober (Chicago, Ill./Regina Dominican) as the team's co-representatives to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Novacek is also a frequent fixture in the community, volunteering throughout Lewisburg. Most recently, she joined her team in visits to the Donald Heiter Community Center, RiverWoods Senior Living Community, the Janet Weis Children's Hospital and the Danville Ronald McDonald House.
On the court, Novacek has solidified her role as the Bison's starting forward, earning 19 starts in 20 games this season. She leads the team and ranks second in the Patriot League in field goal percentage (.547), and is a major component to Bucknell's paint play. Novacek is ninth in the league in total rebounding (6.1/game), fifth in offensive rebounds (2.4/game) and fifth in blocked shots (1.3/game). With 25 blocks on the year, she is seven away from cracking into the single-season top-10 in Bucknell history in the category.
Since finding her stride at the end of her freshman season and helping Bucknell to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, Novacek has recorded two double-doubles as a sophomore, including a 19 point-14 rebound performance at Howard in January. Both were career-high marks as were her five assists in the same game.
Selections to the Academic All-District First Team are eligible for Academic All-America honors to be voted on later this month. In order to be considered for Academic All-America honors, a candidate must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve on his/her team. Bucknell ranks fifth among all Division I institutions with 117 national Academic All-Americans.
Bison women's basketball has had 10 Academic All-Americans since 1979-80.
Bucknell is 11-9 overall and 3-4 in the Patriot League during the 2008-09 season. The team returns to the court on Saturday, Feb 7 to take on Navy in Annapolis, Md. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. Live stats on GameTracker and streaming video can be found on BucknellBison.com.
