Three Eagles Named to All-PL Volleyball Teams

Nov. 14, 2007

WASHINGTON - The American University volleyball team was rewarded for their seventh-consecutive Patriot League Regular Season Championship with three All-PL selections, conference officials announced Wednesday. Rubena Sukaj and Chelsa Brooks were named to the first team and Ivana Cebakova was selected as a second team member.

Sukaj, the 2006 PL Player of the year, earned first team honors for the second straight season. Sukaj led the conference with 5.42 kills per game, 0.70 aces per game and was ranked fifth and sixth in the nation respectively. The junior recorded 10 double-doubles throughout the year and scored 30 or more kills four times. Sukaj also set new single season career-highs with 569 kills, a .296 hitting percentage and 2.21 digs per game as well as notching new single match career-highs with 32 kills, 17 digs, six total blocks and 10 aces. The native of Albania was named the PL Baden Player of the Week five times this season, earned one award as the ECAC's Div. I Player of the Week and was also selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 2 First Team.

Brooks', the 2005 PL Tournament MVP and 2004 PL Rookie of the Year, also earned first team honors for the second-consecutive year. This season Brooks totaled 227 kills, averaged 2.18 kills per game and hit for a .324 percentage which put her third in the PL. From her middle blocker position Brooks blocked 96 attempts for an average of 0.92 per game and ranked fifth in the conference. In her four years as an Eagle, Brooks recorded a career hitting percentage over .300, blocked more than 400 attempts and this season became AU's all-time leader in block assists.

Cebakova's second team selection is the first All-PL award of her career. This season Cebakova split time between both the libero and outside hitter positions and proved to be a force both offensively and defensively. Cebakova notched three double-double's, recorded 20 or more digs in five matches, tallied over 100 kills and dug nearly 400 balls en route to the award. As a sophomore she averaged 3.78 digs per game, recorded a new personal best kills per game average of 1.12 and set a new single-match career high with 17 kills.

This weekend the Eagles will defend their six straight PL Tournament Championships at home when they host the PL Tournament. Joining AU in the tournament are Army, Colgate and Navy. On Friday, Nov. 16, American will face the Midshipmen at 6 p.m. in the first of two semi-final matches. Their meeting will be followed at 8 p.m. by Army vs. Colgate. The two winners of Friday's matches will face one another Saturday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m., to crown the 2007 PL Tournament Champion and decide who will represent the PL in the NCAA Tournament.

First Team All-PL