The North Park University volleyball team introduced Danielle Mount as its new graduate assistant coach for 2012 season.

Mount comes from Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois where she just completed a successful playing career as a student-athlete. Mount was a four-year letter winner and made 81 starts as the Flyers' middle hitter. She earned All-American Honorable Mention honors from the American Volleyball Coaches of America her senior year and was recognized as an AVCA All-Midwest Region selection as well.

“This is an exciting day for North Park volleyball,” North Park head coach Tim Walenga said. “Danielle brings a lot of experience to our program and we know she will fit in right away and help us continue to build on the success of our program.”

Mount led the Flyers with 140 blocks her senior year and ranked second on the team with 296 kills. She also had a conference-best 1.31 blocks per set average and totaled a season-high 10 blocks at St. Joseph's Sept. 9. Academically, Mount was also a four-time recipient of the Lewis Delahanty Award for exhibiting academic excellence among student-athletes, and was a member of the dean's list all four years.

“Danielle exemplified what it means to be a student-athlete,” Walenga said. “Not only will she make a strong impact on our student-athletes athletically, but she will make an impact with them academically.”

North Park was just recently the recipient of its second-straight AVCA Team Academic Award, one of only 90 NCAA Division III programs to receive the honor during the 2011-2012 school year. The Vikings open the 2012 season Aug. 31 when they host the North Park Classic, beginning with Ripon College at 2 p.m.