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Allison, Ware, Smith Selected For Major '09 WVIAC Volleyball Awards
11/12/2009

(PRINCETON, W.Va.)---WVIAC regular season champion Wheeling Jesuit has claimed both of the league's top player honors for the 2009 volleyball season. Junior Keysha Allison has been named WVIAC Player of the Year, while teammate Allissa Ware is the league's Freshman of the Year. Shepherd's Sarah Smith garners the award for WVIAC Coach of the Year after the Rams have nearly doubled their win total in 2009.

Allison has been a dominant performer on the right side for the 32-5 Cardinals. The 5-10 junior ranks sixth in the WVIAC with a .296 hitting percentage and also stands among the league leaders with 261 kills. She also provides WJU with nearly five assists per set as a part-time setter. The Millersburg, Ohio native provides solid net play and ranks second on the squad with 0.62 blocks per set.

Ware has made an immediate splash in her first college season. The Jackson Center, OH outside hitter leads the regular season champion Cardinals with 326 kills. She also boasts a .275 hitting percentage for a squad that has won 22 contests in succession entering this week's WVIAC Tournament. Ware also is among the league's top twenty in digs with 3.05 per set.

Wheeling Jesuit head coach Christy Benner praised her honorees. "Having the Player and Freshman of the Year is amazing and I feel that both Keysha and Allissa are very deserving of their awards. Not only are they outstanding volleyball players, but incredible young ladies."

"Keysha is a fierce competitor who always plays as if it's the last point of her career. She has worked very hard to be where she is and sets a good example for her teammates."

"Allissa came in to a situation where we had an experienced team and was a nice complement to Catie Halberstadt right away. We knew that she would be a very nice player for us, but to lead our team in kills her freshman year has far exceeded our expectations."

Smith has engineered a turnaround at Shepherd as this year's squad has bounced back from last season's 11-22 mark to stand 20-11 at the conclusion of the regular season. The Rams went 12-2 in WVIAC play to grab the second seed in the WVIAC Tournament after being forecast for eleventh place during the pre-season. The 2003 graduate of Bryant University owns a 69-90 career mark after five seasons at the Shepherd helm.

Half of the 10-player All-WVIAC first team are repeat selections from the 2008 squad. Amanda Check (Alderson-Broaddus), Amanda Luedtke (WV State), Jennifer Paswaters (WV State), and Christina Wichrowski (WV State) are two-time first team all-conference honorees. Catie Halberstadt, the 2008 WVIAC Player of the Year, is making her third straight first team All-WVIAC appearance. Allison, Annie Federoff (Alderson-Broaddus), Missy Gossett (Wheeling Jesuit), Amanda Hall (Shepherd), and Lauren Saelens (Glenville State) round out the All-WVIAC first string.

A pair of Shepherd players, Lauren Gardner and Kasey Mercier, join Ware on the six-player WVIAC All-Freshman aggregation. Meagan Gibson (Fairmont State), Malleri Hardison (Charleston), and Alyssa Graboski (WV State) comprise the remainder of the all-rookie squad.

The complete 2009 All-WVIAC volleyball team, as selected by the league's 15 head coaches, follows:

First Team All-WVIAC
Keysha Allison (Wheeling Jesuit, 5-10, Jr., S/RS, Millersburg, OH)
Amanda Check (Alderson-Broaddus, 5-9, Jr., OH, New Carlisle, OH)
Annie Federoff (Alderson-Broaddus, 5-6, Sr., L, Aliquippa, PA)
Missy Gossett (Wheeling Jesuit, 5-10, Sr., MB, Bannock, OH)
Catie Halberstadt (Wheeling Jesuit, 5-10, Sr., OH, Jackson Center, OH)
Amanda Hall (Shepherd, 5-10, Soph., MH, Virginia Beach, VA)
Amanda Luedtke (WV State, 6-0, Sr., MB, Overland Park, KS)
Jennifer Paswaters (WV State, 5-7, Sr., S, Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
Lauren Saelens (Glenville State, 5-11, Sr., OH/MH, Grand Rapids, MI)
Christina Wichrowski (WV State, 5-9, Sr., RS, Virginia Beach, VA)

Second Team All-WVIAC
Micah Bell (Fairmont State, 5-9, Sr., MB, New Martinsville, WV)
Meagan Gibson (Fairmont State, 5-10, Fr., OH/RS, Lordstown, OH)
Emily McCoy (Shepherd, 5-11, Sr., MH, Berkeley Springs, WV)
Erica Hale (Glenville State, 5-4, Jr., S/DS, St. Louis, MI)
Chantal Hebron (Charleston, 5-9, Jr., OH, Lexington Park, MD)
Laura O'Reilly (Wheeling Jesuit, 5-7, Jr., L, San Francisco, CA)
Jess Pattyn (WV Wesleyan, 5-10, Soph., OH, Moon Township, PA)
Haley Snyder (Davis & Elkins, 5-10, Sr., OH, Frankfort, IL)
Allissa Ware (Wheeling Jesuit, 6-0, Fr., OH, Jackson Center, OH)
Katie Williams (Charleston, 5-5, Soph., S, Gettysburg, PA)

Honorable Mention All-WVIAC
Hayley Barhorst (WV Wesleyan, 5-10, Jr., S, Fort Loramie, OH)
Aushia Beavers (Fairmont State, 5-10, Jr., RS, Keyser, WV)
Emily Borchers (Wheeling Jesuit, 5-10, Jr., MB, Dayton, OH)
Abby Gearhart (Pitt Johnstown, 5-8, Sr., OH/DS, Elton, PA)
Lindsay Hadley (Alderson-Broaddus, 5-7, Soph., OH, Falling Waters, WV)
Kristin Irwin (Pitt Johnstown, 5-11, Sr., MH, Bellefonte, PA)
Megan Kehlert (Seton Hill, 5-9, Jr., S, Plum, PA)
Jana Lowe (Davis & Elkins, 6-1, Soph., S/RS, Port Republic, MD)
Jess Raffa (Davis & Elkins, 5-8, Jr., L, Beavercreek, OH)
Julie Robertson (Shepherd, 5-8, Jr., L, Richmond, VA)
Jane Thompson (Shepherd, 5-7, Sr., S, Cincinnati, OH)

All-Freshman
Lauren Gardner (Shepherd, 5-8, OH, Clarkston, MI)
Meagan Gibson (Fairmont State, 5-10, OH/RS, Lordstown, OH)
Alyssa Graboski (WV State, 6-1, MB, Upper Sandusky, OH)
Malleri Hardison (Charleston, 5-11, OH, Uniontown, PA)
Kasey Mercier (Shepherd, 5-8, OH, Baltimore, MD)
Allissa Ware (Wheeling Jesuit, 6-0, OH, Jackson Center, OH)

WVIAC Player of the Year: Keysha Allison (Wheeling Jesuit)
WVIAC Freshman of the Year: Allissa Ware (Wheeling Jesuit)
WVIAC Coach of the Year: Sarah Smith (Shepherd)

WVIAC Players of the Year:
1985: Michelle Miles (Alderson-Broaddus)
1986: Patty Curtis (Alderson-Broaddus)
1987: Georgia Dawson (West Liberty)
1988: Jackie Burks (Fairmont State)
1989: Tracey Rowe (Fairmont State)
1990: Nikki Peck (Alderson-Broaddus)
1991: Sue Reiff (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1992: Sue Reiff (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1993: Kate Markovich (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1994: Cynthia Aviles (Wheeling Jesuit)/Courtney Fochtman (Fairmont State)
1995: Cynthia Aviles (Wheeling Jesuit)
1996: Kelly Sabol (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1997: Susan Wren (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1998: Carrie Whalen (Alderson-Broaddus)
1999: Summer Paynter (Alderson-Broaddus)
2000: Gretchen Krumdieck (Wheeling Jesuit)
2001: Nicole Lafollette (Charleston)
2002: Brandi Dicke (Alderson-Broaddus)
2003: Kirstin Hearn (Wheeling Jesuit)
2004: Latonia Petersheim (Alderson-Broaddus)
2005: Taryn Haas (West Virginia State)
2006: Sam Meyer (Charleston)
2007: Katy Skelley (Charleston)
2008: Catie Halberstadt (Wheeling Jesuit)
2009: Keysha Allison (Wheeling Jesuit)

WVIAC Coaches of the Year:
1985: Larry Hill (Fairmont State)
1986: Gloria Stewart (Alderson-Broaddus)
1987: Rhonda Noble (West Liberty)
1988: Larry Hill (Fairmont State)
1989: Georgia Kelly (Concord)
1990: Larry Hill (Fairmont State)
1991: Rhonda Noble (West Liberty)
1992: Nancy Myers (Wheeling Jesuit)
1993: Tia Brandel (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1994: Carolyn Mair (Alderson-Broaddus)
1995: Brenda Stevens (Charleston)
1996: Jamie Gordon (West Virginia Wesleyan)
1997: Brenda Stevens (Charleston)
1998: Larry Hill (Fairmont State)
1999: Chad Esposito (Wheeling Jesuit)
2000: Chad Esposito (Wheeling Jesuit)
2001: Brenda Stevens (Charleston)
2002: J.D. Long (Alderson-Broaddus)
2003: Christy Benner (Wheeling Jesuit)
2004: Christy Benner (Wheeling Jesuit)
2005: Shannon Gerencir (West Virginia State)
2006: Shannon Gerencir (West Virginia State)
2007: April DeCoste (West Virginia Wesleyan)
2008: Carrie Bodkins (Alderson-Broaddus)
2009: Sarah Smith (Shepherd)

WVIAC Freshman of the Year:
2000: Brandi Dicke (Alderson-Broaddus)
2001: Latonia Petersheim (Alderson-Broaddus)
2002: Kaitlyn Shumate (West Virginia Wesleyan)
2003: Susanna Hill (Shepherd)
2004: Katy Skelley (Charleston)
2005: Stephanie Harwood (West Virginia State)
2006: Catie Halberstadt (Wheeling Jesuit)
2007: Jami Turrill (Charleston)
2008: Katie Williams (Charleston)
2009: Allissa Ware (Wheeling Jesuit)