DENVER- For the first time in school history, the Louisiana Tech volleyball team has placed two players on the all-conference team.

Sophomore Lia Mora and junior Cristine Sant?Anna were named Second Team All-Western Athletic Conference on Tuesday by the league?s coaches.

The two mark the first all-conference honors for the Tech volleyball program since 2000 when Julia Mann was a second-team selection in the Sun Belt Conference.

Mora has been one of the league leaders in assists all year long and has posted 1,334 assists on the season while averaging 11.60 assists per game in league play. The setter is currently fourth all-time in assists at Tech and is in the top five for assists per game and total assists in a single season. Mora also averaged 2.79 digs in league play as she recorded 13 double doubles on the season.

Sant?Anna has also been a key ingredient of the improved fortunes for the Lady Techster volleyball program this year. The junior has posted 17 double doubles and has averaged 3.51 kills per game, which is good enough for ninth in the WAC. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native has etched her name in the school record books this season. Sant?Anna has recorded 427 kills this year, which is fourth best in a single season. The junior is also closing in on career kill 1,000 with 969 kills in her career. Sant?Anna was named Western Athletic Conference player of the week earlier in the season that led to a profile in Sports Illustrated in October.

Tech (19-15) opens play in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday at noon (PST). The Lady Techsters take on top-seeded and second-ranked Hawaii (25-1) in the opening round of the event being played in Reno, Nevada.


2002 WAC VOLLEYBALL POSTSEASON AWARD WINNERS
All-Conference

First Team Team Pos. Yr. Hometwon (Previous School)

Whitney Arena Fresno State S So. West Linn, Ore. (West Linn)
Lauren Duggins Hawai?i MB Jr. Fullerton, Calif. (Fullerton)
Kristen Fenton Fresno State OH So. Marysville, Mich. (Marysville)
Carrie Hartt Fresno State MB Jr. Manteca, Calif. (East Union)
Lily Kahumoku Hawai?i LS Jr. Lubbock, Texas (Kamehameha)
Java Johnson Fresno State S Sr. Fresno, Calif. (Morgan State)
Leslie Lasiter SMU MB Sr. Lufkin, Texas (Houston)
Michelle More Nevada MB Sr. Torrance, Calif. (Crossroads)
Stephanie Pascucci San Jose State MB Sr. Cerritos, Calif. (Gahr)
Rebeca Pazo Rice OH So. Carcas, Venezuela (Colegio San Agustin)
Margaret Vakasausau Hawai?i S Sr. Honolulu, Hawai`i (University)
Kim Willoughby Hawai?i OH Jr. Napoleonville, La. (Assumption)

Second Team Team Pos. Yr. Hometwon (Previous School)
Jennifer Abbruzzesse UTEP OH Jr. League City, Texas (Clear Creek)
Christy Burnett Fresno State OH Sr. Fallbrook, Calif. (Fallbrook Union)
Jennifer Carey Hawai?i S Sr. Newport Beach, Calif. (Newport Harbor)
Briana Cook Rice MB Sr. Houston, Texas (Westfield)
Jill Couwenhoven Nevada S Sr. Clovis, Calif. (Buchanan)
Sarah Davis UTEP L Sr. Creswell, Ore. (Creswell)
Rebecca Kainz Rice MB So. Austin, Texas (Westlake)
Karin Lundqvist Hawai?i MH Jr. Stockholm, Sweden (Montana State)
Lia Mora Louisiana Tech S So. Sorocaba, Brazil (Ciencias e Letras)
Salaia Salavea Nevada MB Fr. Pago Pago, American Samoa (Leone)
Cristine Sant?Anna Louisiana Tech RS Jr. Sao Paulo, Brazil (Objectivo de Ensino)
Melissa Villaroman Hawai?i L Jr. Carson, Calif. (St. Joseph)

Player of the Year: Kim Willoughby, Hawai?i
Freshman of the Year: Salaia Salavea, Nevada
Coach of the Year: Lindy Vivas, Fresno State