Dec. 5, 2007

American University volleyball player Rubena Sukaj has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Northeast Region Team for her outstanding play during the 2007 season, association officials announced Wednesday.

Sukaj led the '07 Eagles to their seventh-consecutive Patriot League Championship and seventh straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Along the way she broke the PL record for kills in a season with 637 and led the conference for the second year in a row in both kills per game (5.49) and aces per game (0.66). Sukaj's kills total (637), kills per game average (5.49) and attack attempts (1,446) each placed her second in AU's single-season record book. The junior also notched 11 double-doubles on the year and set new career-highs with 32 kills, 17 digs, 10 aces and six total blocks.

This is Sukaj's second-consecutive AVCA All-Region honor and the latest in a long list of individual awards for her this season. She has already been named the PL Player of the Year - her second PL POY award in as many years -, First Team All-PL and earned five awards as the PL Baden Player of the Week. Sukaj was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team, was the Sept. 27 ECAC Div. I Player of the Week and the Aug. 27 AU Student-Athlete of the Week presented by GEICO.