AUSTIN, Texas -- Missouri State's Lily Johnson is the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America® of the Year for Division I volleyball, and senior Brianne Dixon made the Third Team to become MSU volleyball's seventh Academic All-American, the organization announced Monday. MSU is the only school in the nation with two players recognized.

Johnson's distinction also earns her a spot on the Academic All-America First Team, making the senior the third first-team honoree and third multiple-time selection in Missouri State volleyball history.

An Academic All-America Second Team member in 2016, Johnson owns a 3.96 GPA in cell and molecular biology, and is a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District and Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete choice, and an 11-time MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week, including six in 2017.

The MVC Player of the Year for a third straight season and four-time first-team all-MVC pick, Johnson is the first player to lead the MVC in kills in four consecutive seasons, finishing the year with averages of 4.52 kills and 3.91 digs per set with 40 aces and 51 total blocks. The outside hitter from Wildwood, Mo., ranks second nationally with 574 total kills and third with 646.5 total points.

Johnson tallied 28 matches with at least 10 kills and 24 double-doubles this year, with four matches of at least 20 kills and 20 digs, an MSU single-season record. She is one of 10 players in NCAA history with at least 2,200 kills and 1,500 digs, and finished her illustrious career ranked second in NCAA history in career attacks (6,610), third in consecutive sets played (519), and 19th in kills (2,293), all MSU and MVC records.

Johnson is the second MSU student-athlete to be chosen Academic All-America of the Year. Women's basketball player Lisa Davies won the award in 1998.

Dixon's Third Team membership gives MSU multiple Academic All-Americans for the third time in school history (Pat Stock and Mindy Struckhoff in 1988, Sara Andert and Michelle Witzke in 1997). The senior defensive specialist from Springfield owns a perfect 4.0 GPA in cell and molecular biology, and played in all 34 MSU matches this season with 28 starts and 126 sets.

Also a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, two-time MVC Scholar-Athlete and three-time MVC Elite 17 Award winner in her career, Dixon finished her final season ranked fourth on the Bears with 311 digs and a 2.47 per set average, and had 15 matches this season with 10 or more digs, including a career-high 19 on Oct. 20 vs. Bradley.

Missouri State finished the season with a 28-6 record that included MVC regular season and tournament championships, as well as a 21-match win streak. The Bears spent three weeks ranked in the AVCA Top 25 and advanced to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament and 10th in the last 15 years.