RICHMOND, Va. – University of Delaware junior libero Steph Barry has been named the Preseason Colonial Athletic Association Volleyball Player of the Year, while senior outside hitter Kelly Gibson also received All-Conference accolades in a vote by the league head coaches.

Barry is the first Blue Hen to earn Preseason Player of the Year honors, and she is the first junior in conference history to take home the award.

Entering her third season in Newark, Barry is coming off one of the most decorated campaigns in Delaware history. Last year, she earned CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year laurels and was a first-team All-Conference and All-Region selection. She capped off her sophomore season by earning a spot on the Honorable Mention All-American team, becoming the first Blue Hen to garner the national honor.

During the 2007 campaign, she broke the Delaware single-season record for digs with 831 and paced the conference with 63 aces. She eventually finished the season as the only player in the nation to rank in the top-50 in digs- and aces-per-game, placing fourth and 49th, respectively.

In her career, she has already eclipsed the 1,000-dig plateau and currently ranks 10th all-time with 1,139. Over 66 career matches, she has posted a 4.61 digs-per-game average, which currently stands as the finest such rate in program history.

Gibson joins Barry on the Preseason All-Conference team, marking the second straight year that she has earned the honor. She is the first player in CAA history to garner preseason honors in back-to-back years.

An exceptional all-around talent, Gibson enters her final season as one of the most accomplished players in program history.

Along with earning Preseason All-Conference accolades last year, she was a third-team All-CAA selection for her efforts during the regular season. Later, Gibson was named to the All-Tournament team after posting 30 kills and 27 digs while leading the Hens to their first CAA Championship.

In 94 career matches, the senior captain has already reached 1,000 career kills and digs. She is just one of five Blue Hens to reach the milestone mark in both categories. Currently, her 1,209 kills and 1,168 digs both rank ninth all-time in program history.

Delaware was the only squad to have multiple representatives on the Preseason All-Conference team. Joining Barry and Gibson were Lauren DeTurk of Northeastern, Lauren Engle of Hofstra, Lauren Miles of James Madison, Kim Mount of William & Mary, and Rebecca Walter of George Mason.

Barry and Gibson will help lead Delaware into its first action of the 2008 season when the squad heads to California to participate in the Cal State Fullerton Tournament this weekend. The Hens will square off with the host Titans on Friday night before battling Pepperdine and UNC Greensboro on Saturday.

AGATE:

2008 Preseason All-CAA Volleyball Team
Stephanie Barry, Delaware
Lauren DeTurk, Northeastern
Lauren Engle, Hofstra
Kelly Gibson, Delaware
Lauren Miles, James Madison
Kim Mount, William & Mary
Rebecca Walter, George Mason

2008 Preseason Player of the Year
Stephanie Barry, Delaware