ST. LOUIS – In the first Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Spotlight of the 2018-19 academic year, presented by Enterprise Bank and Trust Company, Illinois State's Ali Line has been chosen as the female representative, the league office announced on Wednesday. This is the second time that the Bargersville, Indiana, native has been selected for the weekly honor by the conference.
A nursing major and Spanish minor, Line has maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) and is a two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team member. At the beginning of July, it was announced that Line was selected as a Robert G. Bone Scholar for the 2018-19 academic year. The Bone Scholarship is the top undergraduate honor bestowed at Illinois State, and is reserved for only the top 14 rising seniors.
Outside of the classroom, and off of the volleyball court, Line is a volunteer nurse at the community health care clinic, where she helps provide free healthcare for the medically underserved in the community. In the past, she has served as a volunteer in the infusions center at HeartCare Midwest, as well as a tutor and mentor to English and Spanish students at the Western Avenue Community Center. Line is Illinois State's female MVC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative, where she provides feedback on NCAA legislation on what is best for student-athletes, while also serving as an active member of the student nurses' association on campus.
To qualify for the MVC Scholar-Athlete Spotlight, student-athletes must carry a cumulative GPA of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing. Redshirt freshmen and first-year junior college transfers are not eligible. In addition to academic qualifications, student-athletes are evaluated on their campus involvement and community service.
Illinois State (2-1) is set to continue its season this weekend at the Top Dawg Challenge, hosted by Butler, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Redbirds will open the tournament on Friday afternoon against Eastern Illinois (2-2), before playing a pair of matches against Auburn (1-1) and Butler (0-3) on Saturday.
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