Austintown, Ohio – August 13, 2009 – The Heidelberg University volleyball team was tabbed to finish third in the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference standings according to a vote by league head coaches.
Ohio Northern University was selected to defend its 2008 crown with eight first-place votes, while Mount Union College was voted to finish second and received two first-place nods. Capital University and Muskingum College sit below Heidelberg to close out the top five. John Carroll University was picked to finish sixth followed by Marietta College and Baldwin-Wallace College. Otterbein College and Wilmington College round out the conference poll, respectively.
Experience will look to pay dividends as the Berg returns a solid core that has played a significant role in back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Championships, as well as the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament finals. Heidelberg is coming off a record setting 31-8 campaign and a runner-up finish in the OAC regular season standings.
Heidelberg, under the guidance of 10th-year head coach Jason Miller, will be guided by eight returning letter winners including three key seniors in All-American setter Morgan Magers (Green Springs, Ohio / Old Fort) and middle hitters Amanda Atchison (Frankfort, Ohio / Frankfort Adena) and Amanda Montgomery (Dayton, Ohio / Carroll).
Also returning following solid campaigns in 2008 is OAC Libero of the Year junior Brittany Donelan (North Olmsted, Ohio / North Olmsted) and OAC Rookie of the Year Jackie Reinhart (New Riegel, Ohio / New Riegel).
Rounding out the list of returning letter winners are juniors Suzy Street (Grafton, Ohio / Midview) and Elizabeth Weithman (Galion, Ohio / Crestline), along with sophomore Venessa Haase (Miamisburg, Ohio / Miamisburg).