BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh senior middle blocker Madison McCartney was named the 2025 Patriot League Women’s Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, when the League office announced the honor on Wednesday.
McCartney collected Lehigh’s first Scholar-Athlete of the Year award since 1998 and is one of 10 members selected to the Women’s Volleyball Academic All-Patriot League Team. Six of the nine Patriot League programs are represented, with American leading the way with three selections.
Lehigh junior middle blocker Olivia Lasee (mechanical engineering, 4.00) accompanied McCartney on the Academic All-League Team.
American’s honorees include sophomore setter Deniz Dakak (business administration, 3.51), sophomore libero Bella Marrero (environmental studies, 3.84) and junior opposite hitter Carly Sciborski (communication studies, 3.89).
Army West Point senior outside hitter Mackenzie Lynch (kinesiology, 3.30), Bucknell senior setter Caleigh O’Connell (markets, innovation and design, 3.82) and senior middle blocker Riley Tucker (biology, 3.88), Holy Cross senior setter Katie Russell (political science, 3.73) and Loyola Maryland graduate student outside hitter Riley Hamilton (data science, 4.00) were also named to the Academic All-League Team.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player within his/her sport. Freshmen or student-athletes in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards announced during the summer.
These honors recognize student-athletes who excel in their sport and the classroom. The awards are voted on by Patriot League women's soccer sports information directors, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2025 Women’s Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Madison McCartney, Lehigh, Sr., MB, Arlington, Va./Yorktown
*McCartney, a three-time Academic All-Patriot League and Patriot League Academic Honor selection, owns a 3.92 cumulative GPA as a double major in behavioral neuroscience and Spanish.
*Off the court, she serves as a COACH Board member, works as a research assistant in Assistant Professor Chenshu Liu’s Lab on Lehigh’s campus and plans to attend medical school after graduation.
*In 25 matches this season, the senior has totaled 101 kills, 114 total blocks (1.30 per set), 53 digs and 33 service aces.
*She ranks first in the Patriot League in blocks per set, third in total blocks and tied for third in aces per set (0.38).
*The Arlington, Va. native is the first Lehigh student-athlete to be named Women’s Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Kim Freedman won the award in 1997 and 1998.
2025 Women’s Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Madison McCartney, Lehigh, Sr., MB
2025 Women’s Volleyball Academic All-Patriot League Team
Deniz Dakak, American, So., S
Bella Marrero, American, So. L
Carly Sciborski, American, Jr., OPP
Mackenzie Lynch, Army West Point, Sr., OH
Caleigh O’Connell, Bucknell, Sr., S
Riley Tucker, Bucknell, Sr., MB
Katie Russell, Holy Cross, Sr., S
Olivia Lasee, Lehigh, Jr., MB
Madison McCartney, Lehigh, Sr., MB
Riley Hamilton, Loyola Maryland, Gr., OH
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.