Jan. 30, 2008

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The USC Upstate volleyball team posted a team-record 3.616 GPA during the fall semester, thanks to four perfect 4.0 semester GPAs from sophomore Jesicah Ambrisco (Iowa City, Iowa/Regina Catholic), sophomore Morgan Bucciferro (Joliet, Ill./Minooka Community), freshman Megan Healey (St. Louis, Mo./Ursuline Academy) and junior Jenna Leslie (Houston, Texas/Westfield).

The Spartans also posted 12 A-Sun All-Academic Team honorees, which edged out Lipscomb, which had 11, for the most in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Junior Karla Andree (Cypress, Calif./Cypress C.C.), freshman Sandra Campbell (Orlando, Fla./Pilot Point (Texas)), junior Jennifer Joraskie (Southington, Conn./Southington), junior Tijana Knezevic (Indija, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute), junior Holly Mauldin (Columbia, S.C./Irmo), junior Angie Varnum (Salinas, Puerto Rico/New Mexico Military Institute), freshman Angel Ward (Bethune, S.C./North Central) and junior Jovana Lubura (Beograd, Serbia/New Mexico Military Institute) also earned All-A-Sun Academic honors along with Ambrisco, Bucciferro, Healey and Leslie.

The 2007 Upstate volleyball season was a historic one for the program and 12th-year head coach Jennifer Calloway, as the Spartans entered Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference. The team, despite battling injuries and the toughest schedule in school history, managed an 11-17 mark and a ninth-place finish in the Atlantic Sun Conference.