Melissa Vanderhall Repeats As Daktronics South Region Player of the Year

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Two-time South Region Player of the Year Melissa Vanderhall headlines this season's Daktronics All-South Region volleyball team. Vanderhall, a junior outside hitter for The University of Tampa, is one of three repeat first-team all-region selections from last season on the first team.

First-Team All-Region selections are eligible for the 2009 Daktronics All-American Volleyball team. The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. Voting for the all-region and All-American teams is powered by UT partner ATHLETICSITE.COM. Eligible voters include Sports Information Directors.

After being named the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season, Vanderhall led her Spartan squad to an NCAA South Regional championship while being a member of the all-tournament team. In three matches, Vanderhall totaled 46 kills while hitting over .400 in each match.

She currently leads the 31-2 UT squad with 398 kills and 456.0 points. She ranks third on the team in service aces (25) and fourth in blocks (54).

Vanderhall has also enjoyed success in the classroom as a two-time ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. In 2009, she was a member of the first team.

2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-South Region Volleyball Team

First Team
Alison Jacobs, North Alabama
Kaitlin McKenna, Saint Leo
% Patricia Gandolfo, West Florida
% Melissa Vanderhall, Tampa
& Manuela Nesheva, Harding
Tatiana Kuhn, Henderson State
% Bethany Wright, Henderson State

Second Team
Michelle Nogueras, Saint Leo
Danielle Bletso, Saint Leo
& Sarah Von Lienen, Arkansas Tech
Sarah Roberts, North Alabama
Bruna Rocha, Saint Leo
Jessica Crook, West Alabama
& Nikki Hartman, Rollins
Spenser Rigg, Barry

South Region Player of the Year
Melissa Vanderhall, Tampa

% - 2008 First-Team Daktronics All-Region
& - 2008 Second-Team Daktronics All-Region