Nov. 17, 2004

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - American placed a League-best six players on the 2004 All-League teams, while Army came in second with four. Lafayette was the only other team to place multiple players on this year's list with two. Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross and Navy each inked one all-star student-athlete.

Cutrina Biddulph (Reseda, Calif./Granada Hills) and Courtney Mulford (San Diego, Calif./La Costa Canyon) represent American on the All-League first team. Biddulph, the 2002 PL Rookie of the Year, paces the League in hitting percentage, averaging .368. The junior middle blocker ranks second in blocks (1.06 bpg) and third in kills (4.20 kpg) in the League and has racked up 35 aces. She has hit over .500 in seven matches this season, with four 20 or more kill matches and one double-double. Mulford leads the Eagles in assists (965) and aces (42) and has accumulated 138 digs and 118 kills this season. The senior setter leads the League in assists (10.97 apg) and ranks sixth in service aces (0.48 sapg). This is both players' third All-League mention, each being honored in 2002 and 2003.

Army laid claim to three All-League first team selections in Caitlin Machon (Warwick, R.I./Toll Gate), Abby Casciato (Lake Worth, Fla./Lake Worth Community) and Rachael Travis (Whitewater, Wis./Whitewater). Machon leads the Black Knights in kills with 370 and has notched 214 digs, 54 blocks and 33 aces. The three-time first team All-League player stands among League leaders in hitting percentage (.263) and kills (4.07 kpg). The Warwick, R.I. native also recorded 20 kills in that same game, fifth-best in the League for a three-game match. Casciato has made a splash on the League and national charts this season, ranking second in the PL in service aces (0.63 sapg) and 11th in the NCAA. The 2003 All-League second teamer ranks fourth in the League in assists (9.63 apg). The junior setter moved to fourth all-time on Army's career aces list with 145. Travis posted a team-best 92 blocks and added 206 kills and 25 service aces. In 2004 she put up a League-wide season best attack percentage and number of blocks with an .800 mark against Lehigh on Nov. 5, and nine blocks versus the Mountain Hawks on Oct. 9.

Bucknell's lone representative on the All-League list is first team member Jackie Leahy (Plainview, N.Y./Bethpage). Leahy is the Bison's leader in kills with 377 and has 233 digs. The veteran outside hitter ranks among the League's best in hitting percentage (.219), kills (4.05 kpg) and digs (2.51 dpg). The 2003 PL first team selection has posted 30 kills twice in her career, both times coming this season, and is third on BU's all-time kills list with 1,181. this year, earning first team accolades. Agostinacchio leads the HC team with 396 kills and posted 250 digs, 22 blocks and 19 aces.

Caitlin Agostinacchio (Bellmore, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) moved up from the 2003 second team as the only Crusader to be honored this year, earning first team accolades. Agostinacchio leads the HC team with 396 kills and posted 250 digs, 22 blocks and 19 aces.

Navy's Ashley Van Hartesvelt (Breckenridge, Colo./Fountain Valley) picks up her third career All-League honor, having been named to the second team in both 2001 and 2003. Van Hartesvelt, a three-time PL Player of the Week in 2004, leads the Mids in kills with 445 and digs, registering 264 this year. She lays claim to 57 of Navy's 268 aces this year. The 2001 Co-Rookie of the Year, ranks second in the League in kills (4.45 kpg) and fourth in service aces (0.57 sapg) and hitting percentage (.290). The senior outside hitter moved to sixth all-time in the League in kills (1,452) and seventh in aces (170).

American placed four student-athletes on the All-League second team including, Chelsa Brooks (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard-Darby), Natacha Cornaz (Lausanne, Switzerland/Gymnase Auguste Piccard), Elizabeth Maloney (Toronto, Ontario/Richview C.I.) and Sabrina Vasconcelos (Fortalezza, Brazil/Colegio Christus). Brooks finished the regular season with 193 kills and 77 blocks. She currently holds on to the second-best attack percentage in the League (.306) and ranks third in blocks (0.87 bpg), right behind teammate Biddulph, in both of those categories. Cornaz, the 2002 tournament Most Valuable Player, ranks on the League's leader board in kills (2.69 kpg), totaling 191 this season. Maloney stands among the League's best in aces with 0.48 sapg. Each has picked up one Baden Player of the Week honor in 2004. Vasconcelos is Eagles' top digs getter with 290, putting her among League's leaders with 3.45 dpg.

Eileen Cassidy (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) rounds out Army's All-League members with her first career honor. The sophomore outside hitter has totaled identical numbers in kills and digs thus far this year with 249. She has also notched 104 assists, 33 aces and 38 total blocks.

Natalie Rawson (Palmdale, Calif./Highland) is the sole Colgate all-star this season. Rawson totaled 445 digs in 2004, with 216 coming during League play, and chipped in 10 aces. The first-time second team All-League player leads the PL in digs with 5.36 per game.

Lafayette's Veronica Canto-Ponce (La Jolla, Calif./The Bishop's School) and Michaela Donohue (Los Gatos, Calif./Archbishop Mitty) fill out the two remaining spots on this year's second team. Canto-Ponce is tops in the League in kills with 462 this season and averages 4.49 per game. The sophomore right side hitter ranks third in aces (0.59) in the League and 16th nationally. Donohue, a four-time PL Baden Rookie of the Week, finished 2004 with a team-best 421 digs and recorded 232 kills. The rookie outside hitter ranks third in the League in digs and averaged 4.09 each game.

2004 Patriot League Volleyball All-League Team
First Team *
Player, School, Cl., Pos.
Cutrina Biddulph, American, Jr., MB
Courtney Mulford, American, Sr., S
Abby Casciato, Army, Jr., S
Caitlin Machon, Army, Sr., MH
Rachael Travis, Army, Sr., MH
Jackie Leahy, Bucknell, Sr., OH
Caitlin Agostinacchio, Holy Cross, Sr., OH
Ashley Van Hartesvelt, Navy, Sr., OH	

Second Team *
Player, School, Cl., Pos.
Chelsa Brooks, American, Fr., MB
Natacha Cornaz, American, Sr., MB
Elizabeth Maloney, American, So., RS/OH
Sabrina Vasconcelos, American, Sr., S
Eileen Cassidy, Army, So., OH
Natalie Rawson, Colgate, Sr., L
Veronica Canto-Ponce, Lafayette, So., RSH
Michaela Donohue, Lafayette, Fr., OH	

* - due to ties there are eight members of the All-League first and second teams.