AUSTIN, Texas – Ave Maria University volleyball player Lily Grasso added to her accolade-filled 2024 beach volleyball season on Tuesday, as the outgoing senior was named a First Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators. The Naples native was honored in the at-large category, where she was one of five beach volleyball players and seven Sun Conference athletes honored.

Academic All-American is a title reserved for college student-athletes who perform at an elite level in their chosen sport and in the classroom. The all-time list of 40,000+ Academic All-Americans includes major sports stars and some of the world's most accomplished individuals in medicine, business, science and the arts. Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), Academic All-America is the longest running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions.

Grasso is one of 24 athletes from across the NAIA to be honored as an Academic All-American - 14 on the first team and ten on the second team. The at-large program consists of athletes from all sports that do not have their own Academic All-America team. The NAIA team consists of athletes from golf, lacrosse, beach volleyball, bowling, competitive dance, wrestling, and competitive cheer.
 
The NAIA Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NAIA national governance structure to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 NAIA Academic All-America® program.

Grasso teamed with fellow senior Reina Thomas throughout the 2024 season to form one of the nation's best pairs. The duo were First Team All-Americans, Sun Conference Pair of the Year, AVCA Top Flight, and First Team All-Sun Conference. The Sun Conference Pair of the Year went 10-4 on the regular season, including a 10-2 mark once they settled in to AMU's second spot. 

The duo dropped just one match in Sun Conference play, and entered the postseason with six consecutive wins, the longest such streak on the roster. Off the court, Grasso earned her degree in psychology from Ave Maria University in May, graduating with a 3.69 grade point average.

AMU beach volleyball concluded the best season in school history with an overall record of 13-7, with all seven losses coming to either national tournament qualifiers or NCAA Division II schools. The Gyrenes won the first Sun Conference regular season championship in school history with an undefeated conference record, and made their first appearance on the national stage. Four All-Americans for the Gyrenes give the Ave Maria athletic program nine on the season, easily setting a new school record.