By Erin Oberly, sports information assistant

The Bluffton University women's volleyball team has mirrored the successes of their 2010 season with favorable results in the classroom for the 2010 Fall semester.

Overall, the women garnered a team GPA of 3.1985 while six Beavers were named to the Dean's List. Mandi Leemaster (Fremont/Old Fort), Lindsay Krohn (Marysville, IN/New Washington), Shauna Rowland (Bucyrus/Wynford), Jenna Eshleman (Landisville, PA/Hempfield), Courtney Zimmerman (Leesburg/Fairfield) and Bethany Behnfeldt (Napoleon) were all recognized for their hard work. Six other players also finished the semester with GPAs above the 3.0 mark.

In celebration of the 2010 campaign, the Bluffton University women's volleyball team hosted their annual post-season banquet on Sunday, Jan. 10.

Four players were honored with special awards which were voted on by the team, coaches and support staff. Senior Heather Rodman (Mansfield/Mansfield Christian) was given the Bucky Beaver award which represents hard work in the classroom, on the court and in campus life.

The Unsung Hero award went to two defensive specialists, Mandi Leemaster and junior Meghan Dodson (Tiffin/Calvert) for their efforts this season in the backcourt. Freshman Rachel Duncan (Northwood/Lake) was selected by teammates to receive the Most Improved Player award for successful strides throughout her first season with the Beavers.

To cap the awards, senior Shauna Rowland was named the team's MVP for solid performance and leadership in her final campaign.

Giving their final speeches which marked the end of their tenure at Bluffton, seniors Leemaster, Rodman, Rowland and Allison Streicher (Continental) all shared words of thanks and appreciation that capped their careers in Beaver uniform.