Courtesy of Bob Heller, USP SID

PHILADELPHIA, PA - University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's softball player Dayna Phillips was named today to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-District Two Softball Team. 

Phillips (Cumberland Regional High School/Rosenhayn, N.J.), a sophomore was named as second team selections in balloting done by District Two sports information directors.  The USP centerfielder was the only softball player from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) to be named to either the first or second team in their respective district and just the ninth conference softball athlete to earn Academic All-District honors since the CACC's NCAA era began.

The District Two College Division consists of all NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and District of Columbia.  To be nominated for the Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a minimum 3.30 grade point average and a starter or significant reserve on her team. 

Phillips, a biology/pre-med major, recently completed her second academic year at the university. Dayna has a 3.73 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List in each of her first three semesters.  She was also inducted into the university's Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society in the spring of 2008.

The sophomore centerfielder started in all 42 of the Devils games this season.   Phillips came on strong at the end of the season, getting a hit in each of the Devils final 12 games to finish second on the team in batting with a .375 average.  This season, Dayna became just the second softball player in school history to record 50 hits in a season, ending the campaign with 51 to join her teammate Samantha Tu who finished with 57.  The two-time All-CACC outfielder led the team with 32 runs scored, 16 stolen bases and an on-base% of .431. As the Devils leadoff hitter, Phillips had an on-base percentage of .552 whenever she led off an inning and was able to advance runners 51.8% of the time. A solid defensive player, Phillips committed just two errors in 65 chances for a .969 fielding percentage.

In just two seasons with the Devils, the former Cumberland Regional High School athlete has made her mark on the Devils record books, moving into USP's all-time top ten in hits (8th with 97), stolen bases (4th with 28), sacrifice hits (5th with 10) and runs scored (10th with 55). In 81 games, Phillips has a career batting average of .359 (97-270).

Phillips is the fifth softball player from the University of the Sciences to be named to ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District team since the 2003 season, joining Megan Trimble (3^rd team, 2007); Laura Flint (3^rd team, 2007); Shannon Roth (3^rd team. 2006); and Jamie Rosini (2^nd team, 2003).