FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLBY NAMED SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICA BY AVCAA

LEWISTON, Maine -- Bates College senior middle hitter Amanda Colby of Willimantic, Conn., has been named a second-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

Colby, who was previously named Maine Player of the Year and first-team All-New England by the AVCA and the New England Volleyball Coaches Association (NEWVA) and first-team All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), led the NESCAC with 4.45 kills per game. She was ninth in NCAA Division III play with a .413 hitting percentage (574 kills, 119 errors in 1,103 chances). Colby, who was tied for the team lead with 129 games played, led the Bobcats with 103 blocks (21 solo, 82 assists) and was fourth on the team with 287 digs. In nine tournaments this season, Colby was named to the All-Tournament team six times. Colby tied an NCAA Division III record for hitting percentage in a single match when she was 10 for 10 against Bridgewater State College on Oct. 22.

In her career, Colby played in 480 games over 137 matches. She is Bates' all-time leader in kills (1,805), kills-per-game average (3.76), attacks (3,582), attacks-per-game average (7.46) and hitting percentage (0.368). She also ranks among the top 10 among NCAA Division III players in career kills, kills-per-game average and hitting percentage.

Colby is the first Bates volleyball player to earn All-America honors in 10 years. She joins Rachel Clayton '90 as the only Bobcats named to the AVCA All-America team. Colby was also one of only two New England players honored by the AVCA this season.

Under first-year head coach Tim Byram, the Bobcats posted a 33-6 record this season, ranking them among the top 20 in Division III in winning percentage. The Bobcats won four tournaments this season and finished second in four others. Among their tournament victories, the Bobcats won the state of Maine championships and the ECAC Division III North titles for the second year in a row. They finished the season ranked among the top 20 in the nation in five of the seven categories kept by the NCAA. Four of six starters will return for the 2000 campaign.

Click here for the full 1999 AVCA All-America team