GREENWOOD, Ind. – Following the spring semester, Belmont University's
Savannah Webster,
Cielo Tapia-Cruz,
Libbie Hamilton and
Jessica Popiol have all been named to the 2026 Academic All-District
® NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Team as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). Announced by the professional organization this past Tuesday, CSC recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performance on the court and in the classroom.
The CSC Academic All-America
® program separately awards women's tennis honorees in four divisions – NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III and the NAIA. Select Academic All-District
® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America
® ballot.
Tapia-Cruz was also a CSC Academic All-District
® selection last year while at Utah State.
Webster, Tapia-Cruz and Hamilton earned Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team recognition following the season as well.
El Segundo, California, native Webster holds a 3.80 cumulative grade point average majoring in social work. The redshirt freshman made an immediate impact in her first year as a Bruin, taking on No. 1 singles responsibilities and also playing at the top of the doubles lineup alongside Popiol. Named All-MVC First Team in doubles, Webster and Popiol put together an impressive 10-6 record at the No. 1 spot and went 6-1 in the Valley. Webster earned seven match wins at No. 1 singles and recorded 10 singles victories throughout the year, including fall tournament action.
A native of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico, Tapia-Cruz owns a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing her master's degree in sport administration. The graduate student went 4-4 at No. 2 singles this season and played No. 2 doubles. On Feb. 24, Tapia-Cruz and freshman
Mia Jones were tabbed MVC Doubles Team of the Week after moving up to No. 1 doubles and collecting a win at Tennessee State. Tapia-Cruz earned her bachelor's degree from Utah State where she majored in integrated studies.
From Mobile, Alabama, Hamilton graduated last weekend with her bachelor's degree in biology after maintaining a 3.75 cumulative GPA. She primarily played the No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions along with No. 3 doubles this spring.
Hailing from Chicago, Popiol also excelled in her first year at Belmont. The sophomore claimed All-MVC First Team honors alongside Webster and was a fixture at No. 3 singles. The Bruins' No. 1 doubles tandem dropped just one MVC match and finished the year riding a four-match winning streak. Majoring in marketing, Popiol possesses a 3.61 GPA.
Eligibility criteria for CSC Academic All-District
® and subsequent Academic All-America
® consideration are as follows:
- A student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA as both an undergraduate and graduate student (when applicable).
- A student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.
- For women's tennis, student-athletes must be in the team's lineup for 75 percent of a school's days of competition (non-team scored events such as fall tournaments do not count).
- Transfer student-athletes are immediately eligible if the above academic and athletic criteria are met.
How to Follow
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