Heidelberg Places Four on Academic All-OAC Team

The Heidelberg College volleyball team placed four student-athletes on the 2008 Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference Team. Earning a spot on the team was seniors Kelsey Elliott (Ottawa, Ohio / Ottawa-Glandorf), Emily Hurlburt (St. Mary’s, Ohio / Memorial) and Audra Vucic (Lancaster, Ohio / Fisher Catholic), along with junior Morgan Magers (Green Springs, Ohio / Old Fort). The Berg led the league with four honorees, followed by Muskingum College with three.
 
The academic award winners are selected by the OAC faculty representatives. To be eligible for Academic All-OAC, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, be a starter or key reserve and be in at least her second year of participation in the sport.
 
Elliott is a public relations major with a 3.78 gpa. Her Academic All-OAC honor joins her ESPN the Magazine Academic College District IV Third Team honor, both of which are the first of her career. In her final season, Elliott concentrated on her overall play and resulted in a career-best 207 digs, to go along with 95 kills, 21 blocks and seven service aces.
 
Hurlburt is a two-time OAC academic honoree and carries a 3.78 grade point average as an education major. She joined Elliott on the ESPN the Magazine Academic College District IV Third Team. Hurlburt was also selected to the 2008 OAC First Team, the 2008 Great Lakes Region First Team and the 2008 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. Her spot on the Great Lakes First Team earns her a spot on the ballot for All-American accolades. In 2008 she amassed 458 kills, while hitting .369 and blocking 117 attacks, all of which led the team. Her 458 kills ranks fourth all-time, while she concluded her career with 1,180, which stands second all-time. She is just the fourth player to record 1,000 career kills.
 
Vucic was selected to the Academic All-OAC Team in 2008 after earning a spot on the honorable mention list a season ago. The outside hitter had a strong presence on the right side during her four-year career, while carrying a 3.57 gpa as a psychology major with a bio-psych track. She finished the year with 247 kills, a .256 hitting percentage and 61 blocks. For her career she accumulated 880 kills, good enough for a tie for fifth all-time.
 
Magers marks the third multiple award winner. She has been voted to the All-OAC Academic team for the second-straight season. Magers has cumulated a 3.95 gpa as an education major. The junior setter has run the offense for three years and became the all-time assist leader in 2008 (4,267). In 2008 she dished out 1,429 assists, which ranks second in a single-season, to go along with 100 kills, 360 digs, 27 aces and 31 blocks. Her 360 digs increases her career total to 1,009. In the NCAA Regional Quarterfinals Magers became the 12th player at the Berg to eclipse 1,000 digs. She currently stands 11th all-time. In 2008 Magers was also voted to the ESPN the Magazine Academic College District IV First Team, the OAC First Team and the Great Lakes Region First Team. For her votes on the first teams in both academics and athletics she is eligible for All-American recognition in both.
 
Heidelberg, under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Jason Miller, finished the year at 31-8 overall, setting a record for wins in a season. It was the third-straight season, and fourth in five years, that the Berg has reached the 20-win plateau. The Berg finished runner-ups in the OAC Regular Season and tournament, and earned an at-large bid to its second-straight NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship, where the team made it to the regional semifinals.