Rotz Named Philadelphia Inquirer Area All-Academic Women’s Basketball Co-Performer of the Year

Philadelphia, Pa. – University of the Sciences senior Melissa Rotz has been named the 2010-11 Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women's Basketball Co-Performer of the Year along with Swarthmore College senior Kathryn Stockbower.  Rotz and Stockbower are two of the five student-athletes selected to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women's Basketball Team. The team is voted on by the sports information offices of the 28 area institutions from the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Rotz (Central Dauphin High School/Harrisburg, Pa.), a senior guard for the Devils, has earned numerous academic accolades over her career. She has been named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Winter Academic Team three times and along with Stockbower are now one of just four women's basketball players to be named to the Philadelphia Area All-Academic Team three times. Melissa is also a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 Team and a two-time Division II Athletic Director's Association (D-II ADA) Academic Achievement Award winner. In January, Rotz was named CACC Student-Athlete of the Month- an award for a student athlete who thrives in athletics, in the classroom and the community. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native is handling one of the toughest pharmacy curriculums in the country in pursuit of a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and has a 3.971 grade point average.

The senior point guard helped lead the Devils to a 21-6 season in 2010-11. Melissa ranked eighth in the CACC, averaging 3.44 assists per game and was second in the conference with a 1.62 assist/turnover ratio. She finished her career ranked 11th on the Devils all-time assist list with 273.

Rotz and Stockbower are joined on the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Women's Basketball team by Catherine Carr from Holy Family University, Kate Dellinger of Widener University, and Chelsea McTigue of Immaculata University.

Student-athletes from the University of the Sciences have been named to the Philadelphia Area All-Academic Teams a total of 61 times since the programs inception in 2005-06. Fifteen student-athletes have been named to an area all academic team twice and nine, including Rotz, have earned the honor three times. Rotz also joins six other USciences student-athletes who have earned Performer of the Year honors in their respective sports, with two of those garnering the award twice (Michelle Bauer- women's at-large (rifle) - 2006, 2008; and Amanda Bedway- women's tennis - 2007 and 2008).