Complete College Sports Communicators Academic At-Large All-District Team (.pdf)

BEREA, Ohio – Junior All-Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League and Academic All-MCVL outside hitter Michael Beard (Hilliard/Darby) was named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree for the first time in his career.

Beard earns this academic honor after having a cumulative grade point average of 3.679 in accounting. Beard was named first team All-MCVL this year, making it his third consecutive conference accolade, previously being named to the second team in his first two seasons. 

This season, he led the MCVL and the team in total kills (370), in service aces (53), and was second in kills per set (3.78), and second in service aces per set (0.54). By the end of the team's postseason run, Beard totaled 407 kills, 58 aces, 189 digs, 39 total blocks, and 31 assists. 

In his career, Beard leads the three-year program with 860 kills, 436 digs, 95 service aces, 83 total blocks, and 58 assists. He was previously awarded MCVL Offensive Player of the Week on April 11, 2023, March 21, 2023, and February 25, 2021, and was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Week on February 7, 2023. Beard also was named the MCVL Defensive Player of the Week last season on February 1, 2022. 

Off the court, Beard is a dean's list student, a jacket scholar, and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma honorary. 

This season, he led BW to its first-ever MCVL Regular Season Championship, MCVL Tournament Championship, and to the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament. The Yellow Jackets finished the record-breaking season with an overall record of 26-8 and a mark of 7-1 in the MCVL.