Perlberg makes program history with CSC Academic All-America® First Team honor

Samantha Perlberg became the fourth Titan in women's volleyball history to be named Academic All-America and the first to collect First Team honors.

AUSTIN, Texas- UW-Oshkosh junior Samantha Perlberg (Chippewa Falls/Chippewa Falls) was named to the 2025 Academic All-America® First Team for NCAA Division III women's volleyball by the College Sports Communicators on Tuesday (Jan. 13).

Perlberg, who helped Oshkosh win its first national title in December, becomes the first student-athlete in program history to garner Academic All-America First Team honors and the first Titan in any sport since Sydney Thompson in 2020-21 for women's track & field and cross country.

A marketing and business analytics major, Perlberg earned a spot on the seven-member First Team with a 3.76 grade-point average. The Chippewa Falls High School graduate was previously selected to the UW-Oshkosh Dean's List or Honor Roll on five occasions in addition to the 2023-24 and 2024-25 WIAC Academic Honor Rolls. Perlberg and the Titans also received the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Team Academic Award in 2024 and 2025.

Perlberg has volunteered with several organizations, including international outreach efforts in Costa Rica in conjunction with Oshkosh women's volleyball as well as locally at Father Carr's Food Pantry and the university's own Titans Take Down Hunger Food Drive.

An outside hitter, Perlberg was equally impressive on the court, earning Most Outstanding Player honors following the Titans' national title-clinching 3-0 victory over University of La Verne (Calif.) on December 6 in Bloomington, Illinois. Perlberg, the 2025 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, was an ACVA First Team All-American this season as the Titans compiled a 34-3 record on the way to winning the Division III championship.

Perlberg, who surpassed 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs this season, led the country in total attacks (1,478) while ranking second nationally in total kills (560), third in total points (626.5), 12th in kills per set (4.52) and 13th in points per set (5.05) for an Oshkosh team that finished its postseason romp with 21 consecutive set wins.

Perlberg's 2025 season accolades included AVCA Region VIII Player of the Year, Oshkosh Regional Most Outstanding Player, AVCA Division III Player of the Week and four WIAC Offensive Player of the Week nods. Perlberg, a three-time All-WIAC First Team selection, was named AVCA's 2023 Region VIII Freshman of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player at the 2024 Marietta (Ohio) Regional on the way to helping Oshkosh advance to the national quarterfinals after winning conference regular season titles during each of her three seasons and producing a 100-11 overall record.

Joining Perlberg on the 2025 CSC Academic All-America Women's Volleyball First Team were Simone Adam and Helena Swaak from Johns Hopkins University (Md.), Alyssa Dozier from Christopher Newport University (Va.), East Texas Baptist University's Graycee Mosley, Madie Whitehead from Berry College (Ga.) and Brielle Worley from Gallaudet University (Md.). Mosely, a senior with a 4.0 grade-point average, was tabbed the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for Division III Women's Volleyball.

Titan excellence

Perlberg was the only WIAC student-athlete on any of this year's three seven-member Academic All-America Teams.

Oshkosh women's volleyball has now had Academic All-Americans in four consecutive seasons. Preceding Perlberg were Abby Fregien - the first Titan volleyball student-athlete to earn the accolade - in 2022 (Second Team) and Riley Kindt in both 2023 (Second Team) and 2024 (Third Team).

The complete Division III team had a cumulative 3.88 GPA with seven team members maintaining a 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate studies.

The 2025 Academic All-America® Women's Volleyball Team, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes volleyball honorees in four divisions - NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.