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Herman Named to AVCA All-Mideast Region Team
Dec. 10, 2008 LEXINGTON, Ky. - Ohio University junior outside hitter Ellen Herman was honored as an All-Mideast Region selection on Wednesday when the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released its first round of postseason awards. With her inclusion on the 14-player first team, Herman is eligible to receive AVCA All-America honors, which will be released next week. The reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and MAC Tournament MVP, Herman (Toledo, Ohio) is the fifth player in school history to capture first-team All-Mideast Region accolades, and just the second to do so before her senior season. Coupled with her honorable mention all-region nod from a year ago, she is also the fifth player in school history to be honored on either the first or honorable mention teams more than once in her career. The selection is the sixth first-team All-Mideast Region honor, and the 12th overall all-region honor, in Ohio volleyball history, and marks the third time in the last four years that the Bobcats have placed a player on the first team. Ohio players have also accounted for six of the eight first-team all-region selections claimed by MAC student-athletes since the current format took effect in 2002. The 2008 season saw Herman turn in one of the most prolific offensive campaigns in program history, as she established new single-season rally-scoring records for kills (526) and kills per set (4.57), while also eclipsing the previous single-season overall and rally-scoring marks for total attacks (1,363). Her 4.57 kills per frame also led the MAC and ranked in the national top-10. She became just the 10th player in school history to record 1,000 kills for her career on Sept. 13, and finished the season ranked sixth on both Ohio's career kills (1,427) and attacks (3,449) lists, as well as eighth on the career points ledger (1,568.5). Not just an offensive threat, the health service administration major also posted career-best averages of 2.58 digs and 0.50 blocks per set over the course of the year. Herman's on-court accomplishments led to a plethora of in-season awards, including a league-high four MAC East Player of the Week honors. She was also named the CVU.com National Player of the Week on Nov. 25 after propelling Ohio to its fifth MAC Tournament title in six years, and earned at least a share of MVP honors at both the Pitt Classic and Big Orange Tournament. She was also named to the all-tournament team at the season-opening Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. When the AVCA announces its 2008 All-America teams on Wednesday, Dec. 17, Herman has the potential to become the fifth Ohio player ever to earn the honor, and the first to do so before her final collegiate campaign. An All-America nod would also make Herman just the 10th player in MAC history to capture the acclaim. 2008 AVCA All-Mideast Region Team
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