RICHMOND, VA – University of Delaware outside hitters Colleen Walsh and Kelly Gibson (at right) earned preseason first team All-Colonial Athletic Conference honors in a vote by the CAA coaches.

Walsh, a senior captain for the Hens, was selected to the second team All-CAA squad last season when she led the conference with 4.7 kills per game, while also tallying 2.0 digs per contest. During the 2006 season, she set a Delaware single-season record with 1,416 attack attempts, and her 558 kills finished second on the all-time list.

An ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American candidate, Walsh is fourth all-time at Delaware with 1,292 career kills, while her 3,602 attack attempts are third most in Blue Hen history.

Gibson, a junior who earned first-team All-CAA honors in 2006, finished third in the CAA with 505 kills, and her 4.32 kills per game average was fourth highest in the conference. She also placed sixth in the CAA with 472 digs and posted five 20 kill/20 dig games.

Entering the 2007 season, Gibson stands just 163 kills away from becoming the 11th player in UD history to reach 1,000, while she is 243 digs shy of the century mark. Her career 3.7 kills per game average is a school record, and she is just two 20 kill/20 dig performances away from setting the Hens’ career mark.

Walsh and Gibson were joined on the 2007 Preseason All-Conference squad by James Madison’s Allyson Halls, who was named the 2007 Preseason Player of the Year, as well as Kira Batura of Northeastern, Alysha Fanning of Towson, Jacqueline Kohler of George Mason, Shellane Ogoshi of Hofstra, and Jena Pierson of James Madison.

Delaware, coming off a 21-7 record last season, opens its 2007 campaign on Friday when the Hens host the 31st annual Delaware Volleyball Invitational at Barbara Viera Court in the Carpenter Sports Building.

AGATE

2007 CAA Preseason All-Conference Team
Kira Batura, Northeastern
Alysha Fanning, Towson
Kelly Gibson, Delaware
Allyson Halls, James Madison
Jacqueline Kohler, George Mason
Shellane Ogoshi, Hofstra
Jena Pierson, James Madison
Colleen Walsh, Delaware

2007 Preseason Player of the Year
Allyson Halls, James Madison