Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

RICHMOND, Va. – Highlighted by Preseason CAA Player of the Year Steph Barry, the University of Delaware volleyball team placed two players on the preseason All-Conference team as selected in a vote by the league head coaches.

For the second straight season, Barry (top right) was honored as the preseason Player of the Year. A two-time All-American, she is the first player in conference history to earn the award in back-to-back campaigns.

Along with Barry, the CAA also honored Katie Dennehy (bottom right) with a spot on the preseason team. It marked the junior standout's first appearance on the squad.

Barry has pieced together one of the most impressive careers in school history as the team's starting libero. A two-time CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year selection, she enters her senior season ranked second all-time in program history with 1,752 digs. Her total stands just 89 shy of the all-time mark.

The only two-time All-American in conference history, Barry also holds two of the top three spots on Delaware’s single-season digs list after posting 831 as a sophomore before chipping in with 682 as a junior. Both totals ranked among the top-10 in the nation during those respective years.

Dennehy, one of four juniors on the preseason team, earned the honor following an incredible sophomore campaign that saw her earn second-team All-CAA nods. In 2008, she led the Hens and ranked second in the conference with 404 kills and 38 aces. She also paced the team with 23 double-digit kill performances.

The only player in school history to post at least 400 kills in each of her first two seasons, Dennehy currently ranks fourth on the all-time program list with a career 3.22 kills-per-set average.

Along with the two Blue Hens, the CAA also named Northeastern’s Britney Brown, VCU’s Ivana Rich, William & Mary’s Erin Skipper, and George Mason’s Rebecca Walter to the team.

Delaware volleyball will open up its 2009 campaign on Friday when the team takes on New Mexico at the MCM Elegante Classic in Albuquerque.

AGATE:

2009 Preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association Team
Steph Barry, Delaware
Britney Brown, Northeastern
Katie Dennehy, Delaware
Ivana Rich, VCU
Erin Skipper, William & Mary
Rebecca Walter, George Mason

2009 Preseason Player of the Year
Steph Barry, Delaware