Phillips Named to 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All District Softball Team

Philadelphia, Pa. (May 7, 2010) – University of the Sciences in Philadelphia women's softball player Dayna Phillips was named today to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-District Two Softball Team.

Phillips (Cumberland Regional High School/ Rosenhayn, N.J.), a junior, was named as a first team selection in balloting done by District Two sports information directors. The Devils' centerfielder was the one of three softball player from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) to be named to 13-person first team in district two and the first conference softball athlete to earn Academic All-District honors twice since the CACC's NCAA era began. As a first team selection, Phillips will move onto the national ballot.

The District Two College Division consists of all NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, 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 third academic year at the university. Dayna has a 3.72 grade point average and has been named to the Dean's List in each of her first five semesters. The junior outfielder was named to the Philadelphia Area All-Academic Softball Team in 2009 and was also inducted into the university's Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society in the spring of 2008.

The junior centerfielder started in all 43 of the Devils games this season. Phillips finished the season with 37 hits and a .266 batting average. Dayna led the Devils in runs scored (20), stolen bases (9) and sacrifice hits (11). She batted .333 when leading off an inning and led the Devils with nine bunt singles (in 10 AB)

In her three 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 (3rd with 134), stolen bases (3rd with 37), sacrifice hits (2nd with 21) and runs scored (3rd with 75). In 124 games, Phillips has a career batting average of .328 (134-409).

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 (3rd team, 2007); Laura Flint (3rd team, 2007); Shannon Roth (3rd team. 2006); and Jamie Rosini (2nd team, 2003).

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