Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Jacob Sterling
Four Deacs Earn 2025 Volleyball All-ACC Academic Team Recognition
1/28/2026 1:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Each of the four Demon Deacons repeated on this year’s list.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball had several of its own named to the 2025 Volleyball All-ACC Academic Team on Wednesday, announced by the conference office.
Rian Baker, Becca Bellows, Paige Crawford and Dhru Lalaji earned selections.
Seniors Baker and Crawford finished their collegiate careers as members of the Academic Team for four consecutive seasons. They join a group of five all-time Decs to achieve such a feat throughout program history:
Wake Forest Volleyball Players With Four All-ACC Academic Selections
Sophomores Bellows and Lalaji repeated on this year's list after making the 2024 Academic Team a year ago.
"Rian and Paige have been shining examples of student-athletes," said head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer. "The things that make them good volleyball players, like work ethic, determination and discipline, are parts of their character that apply to their lives academically as well. I am so honored to have had the chance to work with them this past season, and the standard of excellence they are leaving behind is something I am striving to continue as a bedrock of our program.
"I am thrilled for Becca and Dhru as well as current team members who are continuing the tradition of excellence on the court and in the classroom."
Rian Baker | Senior | Setter | Communication
Becca Bellows | Sophomore | Setter | Undeclared
Paige Crawford | Senior | Outside Hitter | Communication
Dhru Lalaji | Sophomore | Defensive Specialist | Undeclared
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
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Rian Baker, Becca Bellows, Paige Crawford and Dhru Lalaji earned selections.
Seniors Baker and Crawford finished their collegiate careers as members of the Academic Team for four consecutive seasons. They join a group of five all-time Decs to achieve such a feat throughout program history:
Wake Forest Volleyball Players With Four All-ACC Academic Selections
- Rian Baker (2022-25)
- Paige Crawford (2022-25)
- Ashley Slater (2020-23)
- Andrea Beck (2009-12)
- Natalie Mullikin (2005-08)
Sophomores Bellows and Lalaji repeated on this year's list after making the 2024 Academic Team a year ago.
"Rian and Paige have been shining examples of student-athletes," said head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer. "The things that make them good volleyball players, like work ethic, determination and discipline, are parts of their character that apply to their lives academically as well. I am so honored to have had the chance to work with them this past season, and the standard of excellence they are leaving behind is something I am striving to continue as a bedrock of our program.
"I am thrilled for Becca and Dhru as well as current team members who are continuing the tradition of excellence on the court and in the classroom."
Rian Baker | Senior | Setter | Communication
- Ranks seventh in program history in career assists (2,609) and sixth in career service aces (114)
- Appeared in all 31 matches and 113 sets played during her final season
- Finished second on the roster with 549 assists (4.86 per-set average)
- Recorded six double-doubles during the fall and was third on the team with 27 service aces
- Was strong defensively, recording a career-best 214 digs – the third-highest total on the roster
- Season-best performances include a 25-assist showing in the win at Old Dominion (Sept. 20) and 13-dig match in the home win over Cal (Oct. 31)
- Named a team captain of the 2025 roster
Becca Bellows | Sophomore | Setter | Undeclared
- Competed in all 31 matches, starting 21 of them, for a total of 113 sets played
- Led the team with 599 assists and 5.30 assists per set
- Finished second on the roster with 29 service aces
- Reached over 1,000 career assists on Nov. 9, 2025 during a home match versus then-No. 7 Louisville
- Totaled 204 digs, good for fourth-most on the team
- Had a career-high 18 digs in the win over East Carolina (Sept. 16)
- Recorded a team-high 15 matches with 20-plus assists, including a 30-assist performance against Maryland (Sept. 14)
- Finished the season with six double-doubles
Paige Crawford | Senior | Outside Hitter | Communication
- Ranks fifth within program history in both career kills (1,400) and career service aces (119) while also tying for fifth in sets played (444) and 13th in matches played (119)
- Totaled 362 kills for the 2025 season, averaging 3.23 per set
- The first Demon Deacon in the rally scoring era to be a team leader in kills for four straight seasons
- Ended with 792 career digs - collected 231 in her final year to rank second on the roster
- Started in all 31 of the team's matches
- Plugged in double-digit kills in 22 performances
- Exploded for a career-best 22 kills at Alabama in the inaugural 'Showdown at the Net' ACC/SEC Challenge (Sept. 10)
- Scooped 17 digs in the season opener at Cincinnati to mark a new career high (Aug. 29)
- Had another standout defensive performance at Boston College (Nov. 16), finishing with a career-best six blocks
- Notched four double-doubles for the fall
- Tied her career-best total in service aces (four), to go along with 17 kills on a .452 attacking percentage, during her senior night versus Notre Dame (Nov. 7)
- Totaled 26 kills and 11 digs through two wins over Davidson and Maryland during the team's first home weekend in the 2025 Wake Forest Invitational, earning MVP honors
Dhru Lalaji | Sophomore | Defensive Specialist | Undeclared
- Contributed as a valuable defensive piece for the Deacs, appearing in 92 sets played to double her total from her freshman season
- Registered 73 digs on the year
- Notched five-plus digs in six different matches
- Tied her career high in digs (eight) at home versus Maryland (Sept. 14)
- Posted seven digs, four assists (career high) and two service aces in a home victory over California (Oct. 31)
- Competed well against then-No. 7 Louisville to finish with six digs and two service aces (Nov. 9)
- Collected seven digs in the home finale win over Duke (Nov. 29)
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one's academic career. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team's contests.
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