Valparaiso University head women’s basketball coach Keith Freeman has announced that Sarah Ott (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls H.S.) will forgo her final year of eligibility in order to pursue her academic goals, including preparing for graduate school.

            “Sarah is a very gifted academic student who is passionate about engineering,” Freeman said.  “I fully support her decision to focus her full attention to academics.”

            Ott would have been a fifth-year senior after sitting out the 2004-2005 season with a knee injury.  She is a civil engineering major and was a two-time Mid-Continent Conference All-Academic Team member as well as twice being named to the Mid-Con Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence.  She was named to the Horizon League’s Fall and Spring Academic Honor Rolls last season and has been on the Dean’s List at Valpo every semester.

            In addition, she has earned Presidential Academic honors for student-athletes and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers at Valpo.  Ott is the treasurer of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a cataloger for Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.

            On the court, Ott started all 30 games at forward for the Crusaders last season, averaging 8.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest.  She shot 40.8% from the floor, including 40.0% from three-point range, and was a 76.9% free throw shooter.  She scored a career-high 18 points twice last season, doing so against Green Bay at home as well as at Milwaukee.  She grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds against Eastern Kentucky last year as well.