Tiffin, Ohio – August 17 – Heidelberg University, under the guidance of 12th-year head coach Jason Miller, was selected to win the 2011 Ohio Athletic Conference title for the second straight year, by the league head coaches.
Last season the Berg posted an unblemished 9-0 OAC mark with a 33-6 overall record, while sweeping both the OAC Regular-Season and Tournament Trophies.
Heidelberg advanced to the Great Lakes Regionals for the second straight year as the top seed. The season came to a close after the second round for the Berg. The 2010 season stamped the Berg into the record book for single-season wins with 33.
The Berg lost two seniors in Suzy Street and libero Brittany Donelan, who produced a school record of her own, with most career digs when she finished her four-year career with 2,687.
Returning for their final campaigns is reining OAC Player-of- the Year Jackie Reinhart (New Riegel, Ohio / New Riegel) and fellow All-OAC pick Venessa Haase (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg). The duo will be joined by the rest of the starting line up from a season ago, which includes Marian Bevington (Celina, Ohio / Parkway), Jackie Street (Grafton, Ohio / Midview) and Amber Welfle (Norwalk, Ohio / St. Paul) at the net and setter Rachel Ferguson (Brighton, Mich. /Brighton). Also returning to the rotation is setter Alexa Frank (Tiffin, Ohio / Calvert).
The Berg will kick the season off at the Ohio Northern Invitational, September 2-3. Heidelberg’s first match is slated for 3:00 pm against Trine University on Sept. 2.
Coaches Poll
Rank School (First-Place Votes)
1 Heidelberg (9)
2 Otterbein (1)
3 Ohio Northern
4 Mount Union
5 Baldwin-Wallace
6 Capital
7 John Carroll
8 Muskingum
9 Marietta
10 Wilmington