By Nathan Call
Former BYU All-American volleyball player Dylann Duncan Ceriani was one of four athletes inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Hall of Fame last Thursday, July 22.
Ceriani was in competition with an elite group of athletes, and was one of 25 candidates chosen out of 200 nominees.
“It is just amazing to be included with that group of people,” Ceriani said. “It is an honor. I am humbled to be in that group of people.”
CoSIDA established the Hall of Fame to honor former college scholar-athletes who have continued to make contributions in their community, and who have excelled in their professions, said Dick Lipe, chair of the All-America Committee. To be eligible for the Hall of Fame, an athlete must have been an Academic All-American and graduated for at least 10 years ago.
“She was an outstanding volleyball player at Brigham Young, earning Academic All-America honors three times,” Lipe said. “[She] had a great career there, and then she went on and has been successful in her post-Brigham Young life.”
A four-year starter at BYU from 1984-88, Ceriani was named an All-American twice and a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1986, 1987 and 1988. She broke the American Volleyball Coaches Association career kill record for all NCAA divisions with 2,188 total kills.
In 1988, the NCAA honored Ceriani with the prestigious Top Six Award. Ceriani is only one of three BYU athletes to receive this award, including Danny Ainge (class of 2000) and Steve Young (class of 2003).
Following her collegiate career, Ceriani played professional volleyball for a team in Switzerland, and later the San Jose Storm. She won the U.S. Outdoor Grass Doubles Championship in 1992.
Ceriani said she remembers her coach, Elaine Michaelis, current director of BYU women”s athletics, telling her and the other players that school is more important than volleyball. She said she also remembers Elder Jeffrey R. Holland”s wife telling her that other things are more important than volleyball, such as her family.
In 1989, Ceriani graduated from BYU with a degree in electrical and computer engineering. Later, she earned a master”s degree from UC Berkley in biomechanical engineering. She is currently working as a mechanical design engineer at Breg, Inc.
Ceriani is now married and has five children.
The other four inductees were Terrel Hoage, Gill Beck and Dave Rimington and Rolf Benirschke.
CBS broadcaster Dick Enberg was the master of ceremonies for the event, which took place at Academic All-America Hall of Fame member Bill Walton”s home. According to Lipe, Walton has said in the past that being inducted to the Academic All-America Hall of Fame is the biggest honor he has ever received.
