SAN DIEGO, CA (6/5/2023) -- San Diego Miramar College's Jack LeDuff and MiraCosta College's Makayla Hicks were named the 2023 PCAC Scholar-Athletes.
Jack is a three year member of the Miramar MVB program. He was part of the Jets 2021 MVB team, a group that showed extraordinary dedication and tenacity as it trained all year without the opportunity to play due to the COVID pandemic. His efforts as a starter contributed to a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (PCAC) championship in the team's return to competition in 2022 and earned him first-team All-PCAC honors. Jack led us to a second straight PCAC title this Spring, earning 1st-team All-PCAC honors for the season as well as being named the 2023 PCAC MVB Athlete of the Year. The on-court attributes of hard work and studiousness has also led to Jack achieving success in the classroom, with a 3.51 GPA in 55 units through Fall of 2022. His efforts on the court and in the classroom led him to be named to the 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association Two-Year College Sophomores to Watch list.
Jack has given back to his community with volunteer work that includes coaching youth basketball, time spent at a center for senior citizens, and work with the developmentally disabled. A great indicator of his dedication to his future: with no men's volleyball programs in his area, Jack has driven nearly an hour daily to Miramar (from Temecula) for the last 3 years, to chase his goal of being a student-athlete at the four-year university level. That dedication has paid off, as Jack has committed to Cal Lutheran University to continue his volleyball and academic career - the 18th player the Miramar MVB program has helped to a four-year university's MVB program in eight years. More importantly, you will find Jack to be a fine young man. He is respectful, responsible, hardworking, and caring – four traits that have led him to be a much-respected member of the Miramar MVB program. This year, he has developed into one of the leaders of our team; you can hear his voice and hands constantly delivering encouragement and passion in practice and competition. His successful path forward is an example of our fundamental program goal: to help develop dynamic young men through championship-level volleyball.
Makayla Hicks is a 5-11 sophomore that earned all-conference honors in two sports along with maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA over two years. This award is based on academic and athletic success and is open to any student-athlete that has competed for two years at one of the nine PCAC colleges.
In the fall Hicks helped lead the indoor volleyball team to a 19-9 record and the spot in the CCCAA State Tournament. In the Spring she competed in the 1's flight for the Spartan beach volleyball team. She earned all-conference honors for beach volleyball as she and her partner went deep in the conference and regional pairs tournament
After graduating from MiraCosta College in May, Hicks will transfer to Southeastern Louisiana University where she will compete for their beach volleyball team (D1) and continue her studies.
Makayla Hicks is the sixth MiraCosta student-athlete to receive this award since 2013.