Redhawks' Heath picks American University

Rebecca Heath felt a little stiff for her informal audition for American University's women's volleyball team, but that's what riding in a car all day can do to you.

The Naperville Central 6-foot senior outside hitter spent part of the summer on a family road trip down the East Coast to check out a number of colleges. Her stop at American in Washington, D.C., included a two-day stint in the Eagles volleyball camp.

"I would like to think I was keeping up," Heath said with a laugh. "It was tough because I had just come off, like, a week of sitting in the car for seven hours a day. I was sore afterward."

American coach Barry Goldberg liked what he saw from Heath to want her to play on his team but didn't have a scholarship left to offer for the 2008 season. So he did the next best thing and offered Heath a full ride for her final three years of college.

It didn't take long for Heath to accept it.

"I really liked the level of volleyball and I really liked the academic atmosphere of the campus, which was gorgeous," Heath said.

The Eagles have won the last six Patriot League tournaments. This year they're 11-6 overall and 3-0 in the league where they own a 27-match winning streak.

Another attraction for Heath is the school's strong anthropology department. She plans to major in anthropology with a possible minor in biology. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physical anthropology.

"I would like to become a biological anthropologist, which is basically kind of like a C.S.I.-type of deal," Heath said. "I know there's a lot of school involved. It's going to be tough, but it's really interesting."