’Berg has League-Leading Six Academic Honorees

Austintown, Ohio – November 18, 2009 – Not only does the Heidelberg University volleyball team strive for excellence on the court, but in the classroom as well, which is evident with a program-best six student-athletes earning Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors. The six honorees lead all OAC institutions, and it’s the second-consecutive season that the Berg has topped the conference.
 
Leading the way on the Academic All-OAC team is senior Morgan Magers (Green Springs, Ohio / Old Fort) and junior Brittany Donelan (North Olmsted, Ohio / North Olmsted). Earning honorable mention accolades was seniors Amanda Montgomery (Dayton, Ohio / Carroll) and Amanda Atchison (Frankfort, Ohio / Frankfort Adena), along with sophomore Jackie Reinhart (New Riegel, Ohio / New Riegel) and Venessa Haase (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg).
 
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.
 
Magers is a middle school childhood education major with an emphasis on intervention specialist earning a 3.97 gpa. Her Academic All-OAC honor marks her third-straight. Magers also picked up her second ESPN the Magazine Academic College District IV First Team honor.  She is a four-year starting setter for the Berg and holds the career and single-season record for assists. This year she surpassed 5,000 assists, which marks the first to do so at the Berg and just the third player ever in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Magers also ranks among the career leaders at the Berg in digs, service aces and sets played.
 
In her final season, Magers controlled the offense and dished out 1,372 assists, to go along with 30 service aces and 304 digs. She also had 91 kills and 29 blocks to her credit.
 
Donelan picking up her first OAC academic honors, carries a 3.95 grade point average as business major. She joined Magers on the ESPN the Magazine Academic College District IV Team picking up Second Team Honors. For the second-straight year Donelan was named the conference’s top libero and was a second team honoree. She led the team with 689 digs, for an average of 5.30 per set. Donelan also added 32 service aces.

Seniors Amanda Montgomery and Amanda Atchison racks up their first Academic All-OAC accolades. In her final campaign, Atchison stands second on the team with 364 kills and with a .264 attack percentage, while carrying a 3.40 gpa with a major in sports management. She has saved her best season for last, topping her previous three season of kills combined. Her 364 kills currently stands 10th in the single-season record book. Atchison was also earned a spot on the All-OAC Second Team. Montgomery finished the season strong with 85 kills to go along with 16 service aces. She carries a 3.87 gpa majoring in water quality resources.
 
Picking up their first All-OAC Academic Honors were sophomores Vanessa Hasse and Jackie Reinhart. Hasse, who earned a spot on All-OAC First team, carries a gpa of 3.48 majoring in sports management. Leading the team with 369 kills, Hasse also accumulated the most service aces on the team with 81. Joining Hasse with two All-Conference postseason honors is Reinhart. Carrying a 3.82 gpa majoring in education, Reinhart placed third on the team with 292 kills and second on the team with 61 service aces.
 
Heidelberg finished the year at 27-8 overall and won the program’s second OAC Regular Season Title. Along the way the Berg hosted the OAC Tournament, where it finished runner-up and made its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Regionals.