Aug. 1, 2008

RICHARDSON , Texas - Three WTAMU Lady Buff volleyball players were honored Thursday as league officials announced the Preseason Players of the Year for the 2008 season.

West Texas A&M swept the honors as Laura Prinsen was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Sara Contreras claimed Defensive Player of the Year recognition and Katie Rickwartz received Setter of the Year acclaim. The league's preseason awards were selected by a vote of LSC head coaches and sports information directors, plus various media representatives from throughout the region.

Prinsen, a junior from Spring, Texas, was the overpowering choice for offensive honors, earning 30 of 36 votes cast. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year, she led WTAMU in both kills (586) and kills per game (3.88). She also is second in total blocks (85), third in digs (395) and third in assists (99).

Contreras was the top choice for defensive acclaim, tallying 15 of the 35 votes cast to edge out Midwestern State 's Alysha Pritt (10 votes). A senior from Amarillo, Texas, Contreras was All-LSC last season with a team-high 869 digs for an average of 5.83 per game.

Rickwartz was the popular choice for Setter of the Year with 21 votes, to finish ahead of MSU's Allison Schreiber (13 votes). The Canyon, Texas, native, enters her junior campaign after pacing both the Lady Buffs and LSC in assists with 1884 and assists per game with 12.82, while earning co-Setter of the Year recognition.

The LSC has 14 teams set to compete including first-year program East Central. LSC teams will use a one-conference, single round-robin scheduling model in 2008, in which each team will play one match against each of the other teams.

The Lady Buffs 2008 season gets underway August 28 when they host Findlay in first-round action of the BritKare Lady Buff Classic in Canyon, Texas.

Sara Contreras

Katie Rickwartz