Golden Eagles earn several WVIAC awards

The University of Charleston was well represented as the 2007 WVIAC Volleyball awards were announced this week. Katy Skelley, Jami Turrill, Rebecca LaBrake, Roslyn Adams and Megan Geiger were all recognized for their play this season for the Golden Eagles.

UC senior middle hitter, Katy Skelley, has been selected as the WVIAC Volleyball Player of the Year by a vote of conference's 16 head coaches. Rookie Jami Turrill gave the Golden Eagles a second major award winner as she earned the nod as Freshman of the Year.

Skelley, a Canton, OH native, caps off a stellar UC career as she is named to the All-WVIAC first team for the fourth time. She ranks among the league leaders in kills (9th, 3.28/g) and blocks (6th, 1.08/g). The 24-11 Golden Eagles have gone over the 20-win mark during each season of her career.

Turrill played an instrumental role in Charleston's third-place regular season finish. The Albany, OH freshman displayed a solid all-round game with 3.59 digs, 2.33 kills, and 0.50 blocks per game. She was named the WVIAC Player of the Week for the week of September 17-23.

Skelley and teammate Becca LaBrake are the lone repeat selections from the 2006 all-conference first squad. UC outside hitter Roslyn Adams was a second team selection while Turrill was a honorable mention choice. Megan Geiger was chosen to the All-Freshman squad along with Turrill.

It marked the second stright year that UC had the WVIAC Player of the Year, as outgoing senior Sam Meyer won the award in 2006. Skelley was also a Freshman of the Year pick in 2004.

West Virginia Wesleyan's April DeCoste is the conference's Coach of the Year after guiding the Bobcats to a second-place regular season finish.

DeCoste's second WVWC squad greatly exceeded expectations with a 23-10 overall mark. The Bobcats, picked sixth in the WVIAC coaches' pre-season poll, actually posted a second place finish going 16-2 in league play.

The Ajax, Ontario native owns a 39-23 overall coaching record. DeCoste, a former Georgia State star, still owns the Atlantic Sun Conference career record with 5,391 assists.

Wesleyan teammates Maria Broslawsky and Caitlin Smyth, along with Wheeling Jesuit's Vanessa Lepore, move up from last season's second team.

Crista Canfield (Seton Hill), Caitlin Carey (Wheeling Jesuit), Sara Collins (WV Wesleyan), Catie Halberstadt (Wheeling Jesuit), and Brandi Sroka (Wheeling Jesuit) round out the first team all-league aggregation. Canfield is the first Seton Hill player to receive first team All-WVIAC accolades.