Heidelberg University Athletics

The Heidelberg Volleyball team, a program that had been on the rise throughout the early 2000s, took a major leap in 2007. Bolstered by a then-program record 12-match winning streak, Head Coach Jason Miller and the Student Princes finished the season with a 27-11 record overall, went 7-2 in OAC action and received their first-ever NCAA Tournament invitation.

Coming off a 22-win campaign, internal expectations for the team far surpassed those looking in from the outside.  Picked sixth in the OAC Preseason Poll, the Student Princes welcomed back a very strong core of returners -- replacing only one core rotation player from 2006.  

Heidelberg split a pair of sweeps on opening day at Capital’s Purple and White invitational, then rebounded for 3-1 wins over DePauw and Hanover the next day. Those victories were the first of 12 consecutive wins which included a dramatic five-set win over Washington & Lee during which the Tricolor lost the first two sets.  

Within conference play, Heidelberg swept Wilmington, Muskingum, John Carroll and Otterbein and beat Marietta, Baldwin Wallace and No. 25 Capital. Their only losses came at Mount Union and Ohio Northern.  

As the No. 3 seed in the OAC Tournament, The Berg hosted No. 6 Muskingum in Seiberling Gymnasium in the quarterfinals. In front of a large, rowdy crowd, the hosts defeated the Muskies, earning the program’s first postseason win since 1986.  

Taking on No. 2 seed Mount Union in the semifinals, Heidelberg avenged their earlier loss with a heart-stopping five-set win in Alliance.  

Despite falling to ONU in the championship game, Heidelberg received one of 19 at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament -- the first of six straight NCAA appearances for Heidelberg. Shipped to the Wittenberg regional, the Student Princes handled Rochester Institute of Technology in the first round, 3-1. Their magical season ended with a loss to No. 1 Wittenberg. 

Heidelberg was bolstered by the outstanding play of its middle hitters. Senior Laurie Patrick was an All-OAC second-team selection, earning the second all-conference nod of her career with 375 kills and 108 blocks. Junior middle Emily Hurlburt enjoyed a breakout campaign and earned second team All-OAC honors, putting down 382 kills and 121 blocks while attacking at a .329 clip.  

Setter Morgan Magers was an All-OAC honorable mention, notching a program-record 1,447 assists. Libero Kendra Orwig picked up 5.83 digs per set and Whitney Magers tallied 73 aces -- both of which remain second in the program’s single-season record book.  

Of Heidelberg’s 11 losses on the season, eight were against ranked opposition. The 27 wins were the most since the 1986 season and the seven conference wins were their most since 1990.  

The 2007 team solidified the standard against by which all subsequent Heidelberg Volleyball teams are measured.

The profile appeared in the 2023 Hall of Fame induction program.