ASU student athletes of the semester announced

By Matt Storey, ASU Media Relations

Margie Giordano of the volleyball team and Troy Nolan of the football team have been named the Student-Athletes of the Fall Semester, the Office of Student-Athlete Development announced Monday.

Giordano, a tourism development and management junior, earned a 3.75 GPA for the fall semester, the best semester she has had academically since coming to ASU.

She was able to do that while traveling back and forth between the Tempe campus for volleyball and the Downtown campus, where the classes for her major are held.

Giordano came to ASU as a recruited walk-on in the fall of 2005, but she has since earned an athletic scholarship and she has been a regular fixture in the volleyball team's starting lineup for three seasons, starting 85 of the team's 90 matches over that period.

She started all 31 matches for the team in 2007, and she was second on the team with 383 kills and 288 digs.

She will be one of the most experienced players on the team in 2008, as she is one of only two seniors returning next season as the team looks to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Nolan, an interdisciplinary studies junior, achieved a 3.08 GPA in the fall and has had several instructors contact the athletic department to praise him for his dedication to his studies.

He regularly helped at a school for mentally challenged children prior to coming to ASU, and he has been active in community service since becoming a Sun Devil, participating in Pat's Run and mentoring this summer at a literacy camp at an inner-city high school.

After transferring from the College of the Canyons and redshirting in 2006, Nolan had a spectacular first season on the field in 2007. He led the team with six interceptions, returning two for touchdowns, and he had 64 tackles and seven pass break-ups.

As one of the emotional leaders of the defense, he will be counted on again next season as the Sun Devils look to build on their 10-3 campaign from 2007.