Volleyball: 2010's Key Returners

Cecilia Eckard, Christianne Ludwick, and Megan Arago will return to lead the 2010 Volleyball Team.

Monday, April 26, 2010
by Eddie Anderson

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Cecilia Eckard, Christianne Ludwick, and Megan Arago return next season to lead the Ave Maria University Volleyball Team.

Last year, in their first year as a member of The Sun Conference, the Lady Gyrenes respectively compiled an 8-14 overall record. They look to improve on that next season with the addition of several recruits. Their 6-12 record in The Sun Conference finished them above three conference opponents; Southeastern University 5-13, Florida Memorial University 2-16, and Edward Waters College 0-10. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University out of Daytona, Florida won the conference last year with an 18-0 undefeated record.

Cecilia Eckard, 5'10", is a returning player from Milford, Iowa. She will be a sophomore next season, and started as an outside hitter for the Lady Gyrenes last year. Eckard was fifth on the team in total kills with 36, and fourth in service aces with 14.

Sophomore Christianne Ludwick, 6'0", is returning as an outside hitter. Ludwick came to Ave Maria last year from her hometown of Slingerlands, New York. Last season, Ludwick led the team in hitting, blocking and serving. She had 28 aces and 142 kills. Ludwick earned the Volleyball Team's Coach's Award at the Athletic Awards Banquet.

Megan Arago, a Kissimmee, Florida native, earned the Volleyball Team's Leadership Award for her hard work on and off the court. Megan lead the team last year in assists (375) and was second in serving behind Ludwick. Arago showed a lot of leadership on and off the court and has already been chosen as one of the captains for the 2010 season. Arago received the Gyrene Award at the Second Annual Athletic Awards Banquet. The Gyrene Award is the highest athletics award to be handed out at AMU each year – always to one male and one female student athlete who excel in the areas of spirituality, leadership, academics and athletics. Recipients exemplify the mission statement of AMU and show potential to positively impact the world. The award – a glass or crystal globe – signifies the students’ commission from AMU to be ambassadors to the world and is meant to be a reminder of their responsibility to carry AMU’s mission forward.