(Posted November 26, 2001)

Huntingdon, PA - Juniata College senior outside hitter Brandy Workinger (Dallastown/York) has been named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III first-team All-American for the second straight year, while sophomore opposite Danielle Hart (Central/Roaring Spring) picked up AVCA Division III second-team all-American laurels. It marked the first all-American honors for Hart. The Eagle leaders were members of the 21st annual AVCA all-American squad and the awards will be presented to the 24 student-athletes named all-Americans in 2001 at the NCAA Division III women's volleyball semifinals/finals banquet on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus on Thursday, November 29.

The duo was tabbed as AVCA Mid-Atlantic all-region members and Commonwealth Conference first-team all-stars earlier this month.

Workinger, who as the Commonwealth Conference Most Valuable Player a year ago, was the conference's player of the week two times this fall. In addition, she was the AVCA/Sports Imports Division III national player of the week once. Workinger posted 20-or-more kills in a match three times this season, including a campaign-high 25 against California (Pa.) on September 7. For the year, she finished third in the conference in kills per game and sixth digs an outing. Workinger is currently averaging 3.83 kills and a team-high 3.87 digs per game. She was also named to the all-tournament team at the Washington (Mo.) National Invitational and she was the most valuable player at the Mercyhurst tournament. Workinger is currently fourth on the Juniata career charts in kills (1,719) and hitting attempts (4,117). In addition, she is second in all-time digs on College Hill (1,755).


Hart is currently first in the Eagle camp in total kills (490), kill average (4.02), hitting attempts (1,212) and aces (68). She is also averaging 2.92 digs, 0.56 aces and 0.49 blocks per game through 37 matches this year. Hart is also hitting .276 from her opposite spot. She has reached double figures in kills 30 times, including a career-best 25 terminations on 60 tries against Edinboro on September 22. She had six aces in a match two times and she posted a personal-high 25 digs versus Mount Saint Joseph on October 12. In addition, she earned conference player of the week honors one time this fall and was selected to the all-tournament teams at the Mercyhurst and Guisler invitationals. Hart ended the regular season ranked second in the Commonwealth in kill average and ninth in hitting percentage.

Juniata, ranked sixth in the final AVCA Division III poll, will take its 29-8 record into the NCAA Division III semifinals/finals on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The Eagles will journey to Whitewater, Wisconsin and the campus of Wisconsin-Whitewater to take on eighth-ranked LaVerne (CA) (25-1) at 6:00 p.m. (EST) in the semifinals on Nov. 30. The other semifinal will have host and first-ranked Wis-Whitewater (34-2) playing Wellesley (MA) (27-4) at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 30. The winners will move on to the national championship match at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, while the losers will play for third place at 5 p.m. the same day.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.