FORT MYERS, Fla. – Senior shooter
Dolly Cairns earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.
"Dolly is an outstanding player and student," head coach
Karl Smesko said. "It is good to see her recognized."
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have an both an undergraduate cumulative GPA and a graduate cumulative GPA higher than 3.50. The GPA cannot be rounded up and transfer student-athletes are now immediately eligible. The 12-month residency requirement for undergraduate transfers is no longer required.
Majoring in health science, Dolly posted a 3.52 GPA as an undergrad and is now earning a perfect 4.0 GPA in her graduate studies at FGCU.
The Rhode Island transfer made 32 game appearances and 31 starts for the championship-winning Eagles this season, guiding FGCU to a 29-win season, a 16-0 mark in ASUN play, a top-25 win over No. 18 North Carolina, and the program's seventh consecutive ASUN tournament title and its 10th all-time berth to the NCAA Tournament. Cairns reached the 1,000 career point benchmark this season with FGCU, reaching the feat in the ASUN Semifinals en route to landing on the ASUN All-Tournament Team.
Cairns averaged 9.2 points per game, scoring double figures in 14 contests with a season-high of 19 against FIU, and provided 16 points in a Power Five victory over Kentucky. Cairns scored 14 points in the ASUN Championship game and 10 on the national stage in the NCAA First Round against fifth-seeded Oklahoma.
The Saratoga Springs (NY) native emerged as a household name with her performances in the Gulf Coast Showcase, 18 points in the upset win over North Carolina and added 13 points against No. 5 Iowa. She opened the Showcase with 15 points versus Delaware. Cairns earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team alongside Iowa's Caitlin Clark and was named ASUN Newcomer of the Week by the league office.
Cairns ranked second on the squad in total threes and fourth overall across the ASUN, sinking 62 throughout the season and shooting 35.4 percentage from deep. She also tied second on the team in assists, dishing out 95.
