Complete Google Cloud Division III Academic All-America team (.pdf)
AUSTIN, Texas – For the second consecutive year, Baldwin Wallace University senior United Soccer Coaches All-American Rachel Bender (Massillon/Jackson) has been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America team.
A second-team selection in 2017, Bender lands on this year's first team as she becomes the first Yellow Jacket women's soccer student-athlete to repeat as an Academic All-American. The senior is also just one of two Ohio Athletic Conference players selected in 2018 and the only one to appear on the first team.
Bender is a communications sciences and disorders major who carries a 3.94 GPA. Academically, she is a Dean's List student, a Jacket Scholar, a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, a three-time Academic All-OAC selection, a two-time Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (OCSA) Academic All-Ohio honoree and a three-time Academic All-District 7 selection.
In her senior season, Bender led both the Yellow Jackets and the OAC in most offensive categories once again with 143 shots, 16 assists and 44 points while her team-leading 14 goals was good for third in the conference. She capped off her four-year career with 60 goals, 37 assists, 157 points and 18 game-winning goals. Bender will graduate with the school's single-season and career assist records and will finish second all-time in career goals and career points scored.
Other career accolades for Bender include four All-OAC first team selections, two OAC Forward of the Year awards, two OAC All-Tournament Team selections, three OAC Women's Soccer Player of the Week honors, three OCSA All-Ohio selections and two Most Valuable Player awards from the Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament, hosted by Penn State Behrend (Pa.) College.
BW's 113 all-time Academic All-Americans is more than any Division III college or university in the OAC or the state of Ohio and ranks 12th nationally in Division III.
