LEXINGTON, Ky. - University of Delaware junior libero Stephanie Barry has been named to the first-team All-East Region squad for the second straight season as selected by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Barry was one of 14 athletes to earn first-team honors, including one of just five to receive them for the second straight season. She is also the first Blue Hen to garner All-Region honors in consecutive campaigns since Karen Kunselman accomplished the feat in 1995 and 1996.

This season, the native of Long Beach, California led the Blue Hens to the program’s second straight Colonial Athletic Association championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. She posted a league-high 682 digs and a 5.33 digs-per-set average.

Her dig total marked the third-highest single-season effort in program history. She set the record last year after recording 831 digs en route to an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2008, she topped the 25-dig plateau on eight occasions, including a 35-dig performance against William & Mary on October 3. She posted at least 10 in all but three matches and had at least 20 in six straight contests from September 23 – October 10.

The All-Region honor continues a long string of awards for Barry. Entering the year, she was named the CAA Preseason Player of the Year and eventually earned her second straight Defensive Specialist of the Year honor for her efforts. A first-team All-Conference selection, she also was named to three All-Tournament teams during the regular season.

Barry capped her year by earning a spot on the CAA All-Tournament team after she pieced together an impressive performance in the conference playoffs that led the Hens to the title. During the team’s three matches, she posted a team-best 69 digs and blasted three aces. She also recorded a team-high .971 reception percentage in the postseason.

Since arriving in Newark, Barry has appeared in all of the team’s 101 matches and 375 sets. She currently holds the program-record with a career 4.67 digs-per-set average, while she stands second all-time in total digs with 1,752. Her total is just 89 shy of Karen Beegle’s career mark set from 1988-91.

Barry is one of only two liberos to make the first-team All-East squad, joining North Carolina’s Brianna Eskola. She also joins Liberty’s Kallie Corbin as the only members of a non-Atlantic Coast Conference team to earn first-team nods.

Along with Barry, the CAA also had two players earn Honorable Mention accolades as Northeastern’s Lauren DeTurk and William & Mary’s Erin Skipper garnered a spot on the squad.

AGATE:

2008 AVCA First-Team All-East Region:
Stephanie Barry (Delaware)
Heather Brooks (North Carolina)
Lane Carico (Miami)
Kallie Corbin (Liberty)
Brianna Eskola (North Carolina)
Danielle Hepburn (Clemson)
Talisa Kellogg (Georgia Tech)
Callie Miller (Georgia Tech)
Rachael Moss (Duke)
Natalie Mullikin (Wake Forest)
Kelsey Murphy (Clemson)
Jourdan Norman (Duke)
Lia Proctor (Clemson)
Felicia Willoughby (Virginia Tech)

East Region Freshman of the Year: Lan Carico (Miami)

2008 AVCA Honorable Mention All-East Region:
Kellie Catanach (Duke)
Lauren DeTurk (Northeastern)
Angelica Ellis (Miami)
Chelaine McCarty (Liberty)
Jordana Price (Florida State)
Lauren Prussing (North Carolina)
Shannon Sitzmann (Winthrop)
Erin Skipper (William & Mary)