CHARLOTTE, N.C. - DePaul's Kara Jakusz was named the Conference USA Setter of the Year and three DePaul players were honored on the All-League teams the conference announced today.

The awards were announced the 2000 volleyball awards winners at the championship banquet Wednesday evening at the Hilton at University Place. The Healthy Choice Conference USA Tournament will be contested Thursday-Sunday at Halton Arena.

Jakusz, a junior from Lemont, Ill., owns a career assist average of 13.10 per game, which is sixth in NCAA history. She has dished out at least 50 assists in 15 different matches for the Blue Demons this season.

Jakusz was joined on the All-Conference USA first team by classmate Stephanie Bishop while Christa Dirr was on the second team.

DePaul enters the tournament as the fifth seed and faces UAB tomorrow in the opening round of the annual C-USA Tournament.

2000 CONFERENCE USA VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
First Team All-C-USA

RACHEL BERAN, DS, Cincinnati
TRISH LADUSAW, OH, Cincinnati
STEPHANIE MEINIG, MB, Cincinnati
BONITA WISE, MB, Cincinnati
KARA JAKUSZ, S, DePaul
STEPHANIE BISHOP, OH, DePaul
JENNIFER WITTENBURG, RH, Houston
STACEY MERCER, MB, Louisville
COLLEEN HUNTER, MH, Saint Louis
MICHELLE COLLIER, OH, South Florida
RACHELLE PAUL, MB, South Florida
KIM SENTMORE, Opp., Tulane

Second Team All-C-USA

OZLEM OZKAN, S, Charlotte
SHAUNTEL MILLER, OH, Cincinnati
CHRISTA DIRR, MB, DePaul
MICHELLE FRAZIER, MH, Houston
BOBBI STEWART, OH, Houston
KELLY MCCLAIN, OH, Louisville
LESLEY DRURY, OH, Louisville
EMILY ROBERSON, OH/S, Louisville
ANASTASIA ZAITSEVA, OH, Louisville
MEHGAN DEVINE, MB, Marquette
MELANIE MUELLER, S, South Florida
ERIN DOBYANSKI, MH, Tulane

All-Freshman Team

LAURA LAUDER, S, Cincinnati
ANASTASIA ZAITSEVA, OH, Louisville
ANN LOPATA, OH, Marquette
BRITTANY BARNETT, OH, Memphis
SHANNAN SWINEY, S, Saint Louis
LAUREN JONES-MCCLAIN, OH, Tulane

Player of the Year: MICHELLE COLLIER, South Florida
Coach of the Year: NANCY MUELLER, South Florida
Setter of the Year: KARA JAKUSZ, DePaul
Defensive Player of the Year: TRISH LADUSAW, Cincinnati
Co-Freshmen of the Year: LAURA LAUDER, Cincinnati; ANASTASIA ZAITSEVA, Louisville