Three SAC Volleyball Players Named To All-Region Team

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Three South Atlantic Conference volleyball players have been named to the 14-member 2007 Daktronics All-South Region Volleyball Team.

Tusculum College's Vivian Lacy, the SAC Player of the Year, Wingate's Melissa DeLuca, the Food Lion SAC Tournament MVP, and Catawba College's Melissa Powers were all named to the second team.

Seven different schools were represented on the Daktronics, Inc. All-South Region team. Tampa dominates the team with five student-athletes. Barry (Fla.), Florida Southern and USC Aiken each had two members on the South Region teams. The 2007 Division II Daktronics, Inc. Volleyball All-South Region team was selected by a vote from the region's sports information directors.

Vivian Lacy

Melissa DeLuca

Melissa Powers

Vivian Lacy

Tusculum College outside hitter Vivian Lacy has been named to the 2007 Daktronics, Inc. NCAA Division II All-South Region Volleyball Second Team announced officials Wednesday.

Lacy, a 5-7 senior from Palm Bay, Fla., becomes the first player in school history to earn NCAA All-Region volleyball honors. The 2007 South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year led the Pioneers averaging 4.75 kills per game, which are ninth in NCAA Division II. She posted a .288 hitting percentage, while averaging 2.70 digs and 0.61 blocks per game.

Earlier this season, she was named the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week and has been selected SAC Player of the Week on two occasions. Lacy is also a two All-SAC First Team selection.

Lacy was one of three players from the South Atlantic Conference to be named to the All-Region squad.

Tusculum posted a 25-10 record, its second straight 20-win season. The 25 victories are the most by the Pioneers since becoming a NCAA Division II member in 1998. TC finished second in the South Atlantic Conference, its best finish since beginning its association with the league in 1999.

Melissa DeLuca

Wingate University senior setter Melissa DeLuca (Bahama, N.C.) is one of 14 student-athletes named to the 2007 DAKTRONICS All-South Region Volleyball teams. DeLuca earns second team All-South Region honors.

DeLuca led the South Atlantic Conference with 13.05 assists per game. For the second year in a row, DeLuca was the Most Valuable Player of the Food Lion SAC tournament. She is a three-time All-SAC selection.

In Wingate's final regular season match against Lincoln Memorial, DeLuca became Wingate's all-time leader in assists. Her 13.05 assists per game this season is a school record, breaking her own record from last season.

In addition, DeLuca ranked third on the Wingate team with 2.86 digs per game. She helped the Bulldogs lead the conference with a .259 hitting percentage. DeLuca is a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III volleyball first team (college division) honoree, selected by CoSIDA.

The South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament champion Wingate Bulldogs will take on the Sharks of Nova Southeastern University tomorrow (Thursday) at 12 noon in the 2007 NCAA Division II South Regional volleyball tournament. The Bulldogs are 33-1 on the season, leading the nation in winning percentage and riding a 24-match winning streak.

Melissa Powers

Catawba College's Melissa Powers (Bennett, NC/N. Moore HS) has been named to both the Daktronics All-South Region squad and to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team. Powers was named second team all-region and to the third team all-academic team.

Powers, a junior middle blocker, set school marks this season for kills in a season (674) and average kills per game at 5.27. She has ranked among the top five in NCAA II in kills all season. Powers added 1.09 blocks per game with 80 digs and 32 aces. She is an elementary education major with a 3.47 GPA.

Daktronics Division II All-South Region Volleyball Team
First Team
S - Gabriela Saade, Tampa
OH - Katelen Dixon, Tampa
OH - Camilla Pagnan, Barry
MB - Alisha Green, Tampa
MB - Erin Clark, Tampa
RS - Ashley Martin, Florida Southern
L - Margeaux Sinibaldi, Tampa

Second Team
S - Melissa DeLuca, Wingate
OH - Vivian Lacy, Tusculum
OH - Beverly Stasis, Florida Southern
MB - Mandy Gerolstein, USC Aiken
MB - Melissa Powers, Catawba
RS - Missy Deardorff, USC Aiken
L - Lauren Evans, Barry

South Region Player of the Year: Erin Clark, Tampa