Westerville South product Mandy Simmerman wasn’t even sure if she wanted to attend college close to home but, as a dual-sport athlete, had the primary goal of continuing both volleyball and basketball. She decided to initially commute from home and attend Otterbein which, ironically enough, was closer to her house than her high school was.

By the time her decorated career was completed in 2001, Simmerman had earned four letters in both sports and left a mark that is still remembered to this day. She evolved into one of the finest volleyball players to not just come through Otterbein, but the entire Ohio Athletic Conference as she graduated atop the OAC charts in kills (1,747) and digs (2,046).

Simmerman was actually was a member of five different Cardinal volleyball teams, playing a handful of matches to begin the 1999 campaign before an injury forced her to medically redshirt. One of the hardest, most disciplined workers to come through the program, she was a 2x All-OAC selection that was never fully satisfied with her game and always looking to take things up a level.

Simmerman, who stood 5’9” and competed all the way around Otterbein’s rotation, is the only volleyball player in program history with more than 1,000 kills and 2,000 digs. She remains top-10 in the OAC record books for both categories.

Mandy’s efforts helped the team improve collectively throughout her career as the Cardinals went from a 15-17 record her freshman year to 24-13 in her last season which marked a single-season record for most wins at the time. She left holding seven school records and, while some have since been broken, she is still Otterbein’s all-time leader in kills and service aces (196) while ranking second in digs.

The grind didn’t stop in the fall, as Simmerman quickly transitioned to the women’s basketball program each year to contribute as a forward. She made consistent progress every winter, ultimately graduating as part of a senior class that won 54 games and made the OAC Tournament all four times.

As good as Mandy was on the court, she performed even better in the classroom by compiling a 3.94 cumulative grade-point average in health and physical education. She became Otterbein volleyball’s first-ever Academic All-American with second-team honors after her final season. Simmerman, also one of just 12 individuals nationwide to receive the NCAA Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship, stayed at Otterbein to serve as an assistant coach and finish a master’s degree following her success as an undergrad.

She now resides in St. Augustine, Fla. with her wife, Melanie, and works as an AVP in cyber security for Deutsche Bank.