Hannah Veith

Classroom

Despite being a double major in marketing and management, Veith has made the Dean’s List in each of her six semesters thus far and currently has a 3.69 cumulative grade point average. Veith has been named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her three seasons and has never had a semester average lower than 3.50. She has been an intern in the marketing department of Time Warner Cable for each of the past two summers, an experience she hopes will help prepare her for a full-time marketing position, potentially in the athletics world, once she graduates from Robert Morris.

Character

Veith will certainly be asked to provide a large degree of leadership in the 2011 season for Robert Morris as she is the only senior on a team that will have eight freshmen. However, she should be well-prepared for this challenge due to her membership in the Colonial Leadership Academy. The Academy is an intensive three-year program that only admits applicants after a formal selection process which requires recommendations from three distinct campus constituencies. The goal of the program is to “maximize the leadership abilities” of student-athletes who have demonstrated strong potential in this area. The curriculum includes studying leadership skills and philosophies through formal instruction, expert guest lecturers and interactive discussion. Veith’s desire to devote dozens of extra hours to partake in this academy in addition to her regular coursework and athletic pursuits along with her acceptance into the program speak volumes to her character and work ethic. “Hannah is one of the hardest working student-athletes I have had the pleasure of coaching,” head coach Dale Starr said. “She is also the definition of a student-athlete and works as hard in the classroom as she does on the court. Her character, work ethic and compassion for others are what separate her from her peers. I am proud to nominate her for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS award and feel she is very deserving of this nomination.”

Community

Veith has volunteered her time to assist with the athletic department’s annual Women in Sports Day in each of her three years at Robert Morris and has also donated her time at the Pittsburgh Food Bank. The skills and knowledge Veith gains from her participation in the Colonial Leadership Academy will also provide her with an enhanced ability to help improve the community in which she lives.

Competition

Veith burst onto the scene in her freshman campaign, leading the Northeast Conference with a .367 hitting percentage, and has provided the Colonial offense with a forceful threat ever since. She helped Robert Morris claim the 2008 NEC Regular Season Championship in her rookie season as the Colonials went undefeated in league play. Veith hit .324 and posted 95 blocks in her sophomore season and was relied on for increased production when the Colonials lost multiple hitters due to injury. The Ohio native provided her best all-around performance to date in 2010 when she broke the single-season school record for blocks with 154 and hit at an impressive .347 clip. She led the NEC with 1.22 blocks per set, helping Robert Morris finish among the top 20 teams nationally in blocks per set, and earned All-NEC First Team honors. Veith was one of only two middle blockers to earn national recognition as one of Collegiate Volleyball Update’s Top Weekly Performers Oct. 5 and also displayed she could measure up with the nation’s top teams. She hit .389 against No. 9 Washington, helping her claim All-Tournament Team honors at the University of Pittsburgh’s Blue and Gold Invitational. She also became the first Colonial volleyball player to earn back-to-back NEC Player of the Week honors since 2004 and grabbed NEC All-Tournament Team accolades. Veith, who is a career .343 hitter entering her senior season, put up numerous impressive statistical performances during 2010, including hitting at least .400 in 13 matches and notching at least six blocks in 12 matches.