America East Volleyball Rookie of the Year

	Ashley DeNeal

UAlbany�s Ashley DeNeal, a freshman outside hitter on the women�s volleyball team, is the first Great Dane to earn the distinction of Rookie of the Year in the America East Conference. She had also been previously named to the All-Rookie team.

DeNeal, from Muncie, Indiana, was named rookie of the week four times this season and is third on the team in kills (308), second in digs (350), and third in aces (37). Team mates Eileen Nicole Rodriguez and Ashlee Reed were each chosen first�team all conference, while fellow freshman Blair Buchanan, also from Indiana, earned All-Rookie team honors.

	Eileen Nicole Rodriguez

Rodriguez, from Ponce, Puerto Rico, who earned ECAC and America East player of the week honors in consecutive weeks, leads the team with 394 kills, 140 aces and 352 digs. She is ranked third in the country and first in the A-East at 1.15 aces per game.

Ashlee Reed, a sophomore middle hitter from Round Rock, Texas is second on the team with 341 kills and is hitting at a team high .317 percentage. Her 88 total blocks are a Division I school record.

	Ashlee Reed

Freshman setter, Buchanan has dished out a team-high 845 assists, the fourth highest single-season total in school history and ranks ninth in the conference with 6.71 assists per game.

Great Danes Volleyball finished the 2003 campaign with a Division I record 24 wins and next year returns the entire squad except for senior, April Fries.

Recent Features: