By:Patrick Hall Sunday, 25 November, 2007

Sophomore outside hitter and team captain Lacey Olin and frosh libero Courtney Purcella both were named to Jayhawk West All-Conference teams and to Region VI All-Region teams. This is the first time in three years that Pratt has had players selected to All-Conference teams.

Lacey Olin, from Pueblo, CO, was named to the First Team All-Region and Honorable Mention All-Conference. Olin finished the season ranked #25 in the nation in kills/game with 3.87. Olin put away 457 kills in 1256 attempts. She was also second on the team in digs/game with 2.69 and third on the team in aces with 43. She led the team in serve reception percentage at .965.

“Lacey certainly deserved this recognition,” said Head Coach Patrick Hall. “She’s a true all-around player. Not only was she our go-to player at the net, but she was a stalwart for us defensively. She earned her hitting numbers the hard way, being targeted as the player that was going to get set most often. She also displayed a remarkable talent to push through difficult stretches and finish matches for us. Lacey is a model player for future outsides in our program.”

Courtney Purcella, from Lakewood, CO, was named to the Second Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region. Purcella finished the season ranked #21 in the nation in digs/game with 5.84. She had a remarkable 707 digs. She also finished second on the team in reception percentage with .938, and led the team in receptions with 989. She also added 28 aces.

“I don’t think it was a surprise to anyone that Courtney received these honors,” said Hall. “I think we all knew from day one that she was one of the top liberos in the conference. What’s remarkable, however, is that she was selected over some other outstanding players from Hutch, Seward and Garden. That was quite an honor, especially since those other liberos were sophomores. I don’t know if she’ll be able to put up those numbers next year, as people will certainly hit and serve away from her.”