Dec. 10, 2008
Center Valley, Pa.--Two Patriot League student-athletes were recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association when the 2008 AVCA All-Region teams were announced on Wednesday. American University senior Rubena Sukaj was named to the All-Northeast Region team, while the United States Military Academy's Jamie Clark received honorable mention.
Sukaj earned the honor for the third time in her career after leading the Patriot League with 494 kills. Sukaj also finished second in the League with 56 service aces. She was named Patriot League Player of the Year for the third consecutive season while leading American to its eighth straight Patriot League championship. She finished her career with 2,097 kills and 294 service aces, both of which are Patriot League records.
Clark led Army to its best record in the 31-year history of its volleyball program. The senior middle blocker led the Patriot League in hitting percentage with a .405 mark in 96 sets. She averaged 0.96 blocks per set, which led the Patriot League. She finished her career with a school-record 340 blocks. She also tallied 287 kills while earning First-Team All-Patriot League recognition for the third time in her career.
American and Army finished the regular season tied atop the Patriot League standings with a 13-1 mark. Army closed the year with a program-best 26-4 record. American finished the year with a 24-9 mark and became the first Patriot League team to host an NCAA Tournament match when it hosted North Carolina on Dec. 5.
