Nov. 21, 2002

Cullowhee, N.C. - Western Carolina volleyball player Sara Komosinski was named first team All-Southern Conference, the league announced today. This is the first all-conference honor the junior has received.

The Muskegon, Mich., native has been a leader for the Catamounts throughout the season. Serving as a team captain this year, the 5-11 middle blocker has been a force at the net, leading the team and ranking fifth in the league in kills with 402 to average 3.47 per game. The junior posted a career-high 25 kills at UNC Asheville on October 22, adding 19 digs for the double-double. She currently leads the team and is second in the conference in hitting percentage at .337 for the season. Komosinski also ranks second on the team and ninth in the SoCon in blocks with 109 - 0.94 per game.

On October 30 of this year, at Chattanooga, Komosinski surpassed 1,000 career kills. She has now accumulated 1,095 over the last three years and needs just 254 more to break into WCU's record book for career kills. She also has 335 career blocks, which already places her third on Western's career list. With the SoCon Tournament still left to play, Komosinski needs only five blocks to become Western's fifth leading blocker for a single season.

Georgia Southern outside hitter Martina Veiglova was selected as the Southern Conference Player of the Year. She finished the season with 622 kills, averaging 5.36 per game. Nicole Ryan, a freshman outside hitter from East Tennessee State, was selected as the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. She was ranked second in the conference averaging 4.03 kills per game with 468 total kills on the season. Georgia Southern's Kerry Messersmith, in her second year as the Eagles' head coach, received the Coach of the Year award. Messersmith led the Eagles to a 24-8 overall record and a share of the regular season championship with an 18-2 mark in Southern Conference play.

The fifth-seeded Lady Catamounts are set to square off against fourth seed Furman in first round action of the SoCon Championships Friday, held at Davidson at 10:00 am. The winner of that match will go on to play the winner of number one seed Georgia Southern and number eight Chattanooga at 4:30 on Saturday.

Southern Conference All-Conference Teams

First Team                                        Second Team
OH - Stephanie Ballard, College of Charleston     OH - Tara Greene, College of Charleston
S - Mary Sabatino, College of Charleston          MB - Alisa Long, College of Charleston
MB - Roberta Quis, Davidson                       Lib - Sara Davis, College of Charleston
RSH - Abby Simon, Furman                          OH - Kari Krouse, Chattanooga
OH - Martina Veiglova, Georgia Southern           MB - Latisha Chapman, Davidson
Lib - Megan Lippi - Georgia Southern              MB - Laura Bush, Furman
MB - Sara Komosinski, Western Carolina            MB - Lauren McClain, Georgia Southern

Player of the Year; Martina Veiglova, Georgia Southern
Rayna Taylor Freshman of the Year: Nicole Ryan, East Tennessee State
Coach of the Year: Kerry Messersmith, Georgia Southern