VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota senior guard Allison Arens and junior guard Ciara Duffy have been voted to the 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-District VI Team announced Thursday by CoSIDA. The pair are two of 41 players who will be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America in March.
 
This marks the first time since 2003 that South Dakota's had two representatives on the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. South Dakota is one of four Division I teams in the nation with two selections.
 
"This is simply amazing!" said USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. "Allison and Ciara dedicate themselves to being their very best as students here at the University of South Dakota and also as athletes! Allison and Ciara take it to another level as they are also great teammates, great leaders and role models to so many young girls in our community. We are very proud of both Allison and Ciara and so thankful to have them as tremendous ambassadors of our program and our University."
 
The pair are both 1,000 point scorers, both earned a spot on the Summit League All-Academic Team last season and both are named to CoSIDA's Academic All-District team for the second time in their career.
 
A versatile 6-foot-1 guard from Rapid City, South Dakota, Duffy became South Dakota's first women's basketball Academic All-American at the Division I level last season. She also earned a spot on the all-Summit League first team. Duffy is averaging 15 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game to pace the Coyotes. She's had 18 double-figure games this season with seven past 20 points. Duffy became the 26th Coyote to score 1,000 points back in January is steadily climbing USD's career scoring charts.
 
Duffy carries a perfect 4.00 grade-point average and will graduate with her bachelor's degree in political science this May. She plans to begin her master's degree in history at USD this fall.
 
A native of Crofton, Nebraska, Arens earns Academic All-District for the second time of her career with the first accolade in 2017. Arens is a two-time all-Summit League first team guard and was a semifinalist for the Senior CLASS Award. She became the fourth Coyote to tally 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in her career earlier this season. Arens holds five USD program records for free throws and is five points shy of cracking USD's top-10 for career scoring. She's averaging 11.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. Arens has 16 double-figure games with four past 20 points this season.
 
Arens boasts a 3.86 grade-point average as an elementary education major. She plans to spend the 2019-20 academic year student teaching.
 
The duo has led South Dakota to a 23-3 record this season and a No. 23 ranking in both national polls.