TWO STUDENT-ATHLETES AWARDED DEGREE COMPLETION FUNDING

Rich and Jager Receive Funds To Complete Their College Degrees

Andrea Rich

Amanda Jager

Rich, a four-year (2005-08) letterwinner of the FSU women's volleyball team, and Jager, a four-year (2006-09) Bulldog softball letterwinner, both completed their collegiate eligibility following the conclusion of their respective senior seasons for the 2008-09 calendar season.

The Division II Degree-Completion Award Committee chose 82 recipients to receive funds with eight of those student-athletes hailing from a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member institition.

The Division II Degree-Completion Award program provides financial assistance to deserving student-athletes for the completion of their first baccalaureate degree. To receive the award, a student must have exhausted their athletics eligibility and received athletics-related financial aid from the NCAA Division II member institution. The award recipients must possess solid academic credentials. The committee also takes into consideration financial circumstances, athletics achievement and involvement in the campus and community activities. The individuals who secure degree-completion funds must complete undergraduate degree requirements from the NCAA-II institution where the applicant last competed.

Rich, a setter-outside hitter, received American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention Team laurels and was an All-GLIAC First-Team selection for the 2008 season. She paced Ferris State in assists (629) and service aces (40) in 2008 while placing second among the team's leaders with a career single-season best 315 digs in 29 matches. Rich, a 2008 FSU Volleyball Coaches Award co-recipient, wrapped up the 2008 season with a squad fourth-most and career season-high 165 kills to go with a .166 attack percentage.

The 2008 Ferris State co-captain finished her collegiate career ranking ninth on the program's all-time leaders list in career assists (2,016), 22nd in digs (775), and 28th in service aces (96). The three-time (2006-08) GLIAC All-Academic Team member became the ninth individual in FSU volleyball history to reach the 2,000-career assists mark.

Rich and the Ferris State volleyball team produced a 16-13 overall record for the 2008 campaign, which included an 8-8 conference ledger. The Bulldogs, under 13th-year head coach Tia Brandel-Wilhelm, produced the program's 11th straight winning season and also made their 11th consecutive GLIAC Postseason Tournament appearance.

Jager, a first baseman, hit for a .286 average with 34 base hits in 119 at bats as a starter in all 45 outings this spring. The 2009 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention Team pick led the Bulldogs this season in both doubles (nine) and RBI's (26) while collecting two home runs, a .429 slugging percentage, and a .396 on-base percentage.

A 2008 All-GLIAC First-Team and Daktronics, Inc. All-Great Lakes Region Second-Team honoree, Jager currently ranks third among the Bulldogs' all-time statistical leaders in home runs (17), seventh in RBI's (94), eighth in doubles (35), tied for 10th in batting average (.312), 15th in hits (144), 18th in games played (178), and 23rd in at bats (461). Her 86 career strikeouts is 19th most in FSU pitching annals.

Jager played a key part in leading Ferris State to a 35-10 overall record and an 18-4 conference regular-season mark. The Bulldogs made their seventh NCAA-II Regional Tournament appearance this season and their fourth trip in the last five seasons to date. FSU, which is directed by 12th-year head coach Keri Becker, earned a 22nd-place national ranking by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) in its final Division II Top 25 Poll.

The NCAA established the Division II Degree-Completion Award Program in 2001. To date, over $2,000,000 has been given to approximately 600 deserving student-athletes and of those student-athletes who have received the award since its inception, 93 percent have earned their undergraduate degree using this program.

With the selections of Rich and Jager, Ferris State presently has six student-athletes in its athletics history who have earned NCAA Degree-Completion Award. Carlton Epps (men's basketball) and Navreet Gill (softball) were both 2004-05 season recipients while Laura Crower (softball) garnered the award for the 2006-07 season. Sam Johns (women's basketball) was a 2007-08 award recipient.