

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., November 16, 2005 - Springfield College junior libero Leah Hettrick (Meriden, Conn.) has been selected as a 2005 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Honorable Mention All-America honoree.
After her junior season, Leah Hettrick, a native of Meriden, Conn., is already second on SC’s all-time list in digs. The first-team All-New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) selection has racked up an even 1,800 digs through three seasons at SC, including a school-record 46 digs in her last match against Coast Guard in the NEWMAC Semifinals. Next season, Hettrick will need just 101 digs to become the all-time school leader in that category, as she will have the opportunity to pass Robin Chase, who ended her career at an even 1,900.
This season’s AVCA All-New England Region selection and Tom Hay Invitational MVP, Hettrick finished the year ranked second in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) in digs per game (6.32), with a total of 752.
The Pride finished its 2005 campaign with a 26-8 overall record and 7-2 mark in the NEWMAC standings, good for a second-place tie with Coast Guard. SC ended its season with a very close, 3-2 loss at MIT against Coast Guard in the semifinal round of the NEWMAC Tournament.
Joel Dearing will enter his 20th season as head women's volleyball coach at his alma mater in the fall of 2008. Dearing is regarded nationally as one of the sport’s best coaches and he has the resume to prove it. Dearing ranks in the top-10 in Division III history with a 638-293 (.685) overall mark in 27 seasons as a women’s volleyball coach.
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