Phillips, Hoover Earn Top Honors

E&H Rookie Fertitta, VWC's Leedom Take Home Awards

SALEM, Va. --- Washington and Lee University junior, Rachael Phillips, earned the 2008 ODAC Player of the Year award as she led her team to this year's league title. Virginia Wesleyan

College head coach, Andrea Hoover, was selected as the ODAC Coach of the Year and was joined by Marlin sophomore Rebecca Leedom as the ODAC/Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete. Rachel Fertitta spearheaded the Emory & Henry College attack in her first season to garner ODAC Rookie of the Year honors, and Randolph College was given the Team Sportsmanship Award.

Phillips, an outside hitter, is one of two Generals on the All-ODAC First Team. Phillips helped lead Washington and Lee to its ODAC-record 12th conference title, the eighth straight for the blue and white from Lexington. Phillips finished third in the league with 3.29 kills per game and 365 total kills. She also collected 367 digs, second for W&L, as well as 48 blocks and 14 aces. Washington and Lee continues its season in the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament following a 10-0 showing in ODAC play, its seventh season in the last eight with an undefeated league mark.

Hoover just completed her third season guiding the Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team. The third coach since the program began in 2003, Hoover took the Marlins to the ODAC semifinals for the second time in her tenure, leading the program to its first ever 20-plus win season. The Marlins finished the year with a 7-3 league record, good for the third seed in the tournament, and posted a 23-11 overall mark.

Leedom is a standout both on the court and in the classroom as the former ODAC Rookie of the Year earned All-ODAC First Team accolades this season. Leedom boasts a 4.0 grade point average as a recreation and leisure studies major. She has twice earned a spot on the VWC Dean's List and was named to the ODAC All-Academic Team last season. In uniform, Leedom led the ODAC with 402 total kills, good enough for a 3.24 per game average. She also recorded 446 digs and 45 blocks. She registered the highest single-game kill total this season, collecting 24 winners against Bridgewater College.

Fertitta adjusted quickly to the college game, leading the Wasps to the sixth seed in the ODAC Tournament. A middle hitter, Fertitta led the conference in hitting percentage (.347), kills per game (3.79) and blocks per game (1.10). She hammered out double-digit kills in 23-of-27 matches with a season-high 23 to open the season against Milligan.

Listed below are the 2008 ODAC Volleyball All-Conference Teams. For more information on ODAC Volleyball, visit any of the member schools' websites or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rachael Phillips, Washington and Lee

COACH OF THE YEAR
Andrea Hoover, Virginia Wesleyan

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Rachel Fertitta, Emory & Henry

ODAC/FARM BUREAU SCHOLAR-ATHLETE
Rebecca Leedom, Virginia Wesleyan

TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP
Randolph College

ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM
Erika Dirnagl, Bridgewater
Rachel Fertitta, Emory & Henry
Rebecca Leedom, Virginia Wesleyan
Rachael Phillips, Washington and Lee
Kendra Smith, Randolph-Macon
Savannah Tinsley, Lynchburg (Libero)
Jessica Ulrich, Washington and Lee

ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM
April Hines, Randolph-Macon
Elena Kritter, Lynchburg
Jill Kubichan, Randolph-Macon (Libero)
Kelsey Largen, Roanoke
Debbie Sterne, Virginia Wesleyan
Maggie Wagner, Roanoke
Marissa Wood, Virginia Wesleyan

ALL-ODAC HONORABLE MENTION
Monika Burkholder, Eastern Mennonite
Tricia Davis, Bridgewater
Cassidy Jones, Sweet Briar
Caitlyn Long, Roanoke (Libero)
Anna Miller, Guilford
Kristen Spinner, Randolph
Megan Steinhardt, Washington and Lee