Sync:HTML backup after Sync size is less to Latest backup before Sync.[UPDATE:3rdMARCH2019] | I-Firefox Isithangami Sokweseka | Ukwesekwa kwe-Mozilla  A TIME OF WINNING AND RENEWAL The fall of 2016 saw more success for AU’s athletic department. Ashland’s volleyball team made its return to the NCAA Division II postseason, a few other programs were on the cusp, an Eagle cross country runner returned to national prominence, three student-athletes earned Academic All-American honors and the men’s soccer team returned to the field. VOLLEYBALL – The Eagle volleyball team finished the regular season winning 11 of its last 12 matches to make both the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and NCAA tournaments. Ashland finished 2016 at 23-11, including a spotless 11-0 record at Kates Gymnasium. Senior right-side hitter Alli Cudworth earned first-team College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America honors, and both she and senior outside hitter Casey Clark became the second and third players in program history to reach the coveted 1,000-1,000 club (career kills and digs). CROSS COUNTRY – Senior Nick Hall returned to the course after a redshirt year and earned his second All-America honor, placing 16th at the Division II national meet in November in St. Leo, Fla. Hall became the first AU cross country runner to become a multiple-time All-American since Ashland Hall of Famer Nick Cordes (1999-2000, 2002). Hall also placed second at the Midwest Regional meet earlier in November in Evansville, Ind., where the Eagle men were 10th as a team and the AU women finished 24th. At the GLIAC Championships at Ferris State in October, Hall was sixth individually, while Ashland’s teams took fifth (men) and 10th (women), respectively. FOOTBALL – Ashland finished 9-2 overall and 7-2 in the GLIAC, winning the conference’s South Division championship. Despite ending the regular season 16th in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 poll, the Eagles were the only team in that poll to not be selected for the national playoffs. Junior tight end Adam Shaheen set school and D-II tight end records for single-season touchdown catches with 16, and, among other honors, was named firstteam Academic All-American, AFCA and NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) first-team All-America, and was the first tight end in GLIAC history to be named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 10). WOMEN’S SOCCER – The Eagles (10-3-4, 7-2-2) were on the verge of a return to the NCAA postseason, while also playing in the GLIAC Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Ashland allowed just 16 goals in 17 games, and shut out nine