Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. - Seniors Steph Barry and Michelle LaLonde have been selected to serve as captains of the University of Delaware volleyball team for the 2009 campaign.

Together, the two standouts will be responsible for helping lead a program that has set high goals for the upcoming season. Guided in large part by the efforts of the two veterans, the Blue Hens have captured back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association championships during the last two years.

Barry (above right) has put together one of the most decorated careers in school history as the team's star libero. A two-time CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year selection, she is the first player in conference history to garner All-American honors in two separate seasons.

Entering her senior season, she has posted 1,752 career digs, marking the second highest total by a Blue Hen - just 89 shy of the all-time mark. Barry also holds two of the top three spots on the program'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.

A dependable defensive stalwart, she enters her senior year having played in 101 consecutive matches. She stands just 28 shy of the school record set by Colleen Walsh from 2004-07.

LaLonde (below right) has also been a consistent driving force behind the Blue Hens since she arrived in Newark in 2005. A consummate leader both on and off the court, she is just the 11th player in program history to serve as a captain for two straight seasons after also filling the role in 2008.

An imposing presence along the net, LaLonde has posted 242 blocks in 80 career matches. Over that time, she has compiled a .86 blocks-per-set average, which currently ranks as the sixth highest rate in program history.

A former CAA All-Rookie selection, she led the league with a .315 hitting percentage as a sophomore while leading the team to a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2007.

Barry and LaLonde will lead the Blue Hens into their first action of the season during the New Mexico Tournament beginning August 28. Delaware will open the year with a match against the host Lobos before battling Portland State and UC Santa Barbara on Saturday.