ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Stanislaus State's Samuel Villanueva has earned a spot on the prestigious College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America team.
 
Villanueva collected third-team Academic All-America honors after posting a 3.54 grade point average as a Psychology major. He was also dominant on the pitch, helping lead Stanislaus State to a 17-2-1 record and the program's first No. 1 national ranking. The senior defender ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II with 13 assists, and was named an All-American by D2 CCA and the United Soccer Coaches.
 
Villanueva joins Tyler Tipton (2023) as the only Warriors ever to earn CSC Academic All-America honors.
 
The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 Division II Academic All-America® program.

Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC), Academic All-America is the longest-running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges, and Canadian institutions. Since its inception in 1952, more than 40,000 student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions have earned these elite Academic All-America scholar-athlete honors. For more information regarding the Academic All-America® program, visit academicallamerica.com.