Dec. 15, 2016
NSCAA Scholar All-America List
NSCAA Scholar All-West Region List
Kansas City, Mo. --- You can say it's been one heck of a year for San José State women's soccer junior Dorthe Hoppius. After repeating as an All-Mountain West First Team choice, and representing her native country Germany at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the Spartan forward is now a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Scholar All-American.
The NSCAA's release of one of the highest academic honors in the sport revealed Hoppius on the Scholar All-America Third Team. She is one of just 37 NCAA Division I women's soccer players to achieve the honor, while being one of six in the Pacific Time Zone and joins UNLV's Lily Sender as the two Mountain West honorees.
"I had to do my best to stay organized and disciplined. It's such a good feeling because this semester was very hard," Hoppius said. "I didn't expect this at all and it just feels really good to have the hard work pay off on the field and also in school."
To be eligible for the NSCAA Scholar All-America awards, the nominee must be a junior or above in academic standing, have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average throughout his or her career while starting more than 50 percent of all games, and must be a significant contributor to the team.
Hoppius, a justice studies major, has maintained above a 3.6 GPA throughout her student-athlete career. Meanwhile, she is a back-to-back All-Mountain West First Team forward who led the team in goals during the 2016 season.
"I emailed my high school English teacher to say thank you," said Hoppius. "But I also need to thank my friends, family and Julie Stansberry and Eileen Daley for the help and support through such a busy semester."
By way of the Scholar All-America honor, Hoppius is also a Scholar All-West Region First Team selection.
The NSCAA will honor Hoppius and the rest of the award recipients at its annual convention being held on January 14 in Los Angeles. It will be the first time that a Spartan's name will be announced as a Scholar All-American at one of the sport's most prestigious events.