Aug. 18, 2003

Winston-Salem, NC - On Tuesday, The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association announced the 2003 Volleyball Preseason All-CIAA team, selecting 12 student athletes from five different CIAA member institutions.

The Winston-Salem State University Lady Rams placed two student-athletes on the twelve-member team, as a pair of WSSU juniors, Chasity Clark and Ebony Douglas garnered the honor.

Clark, a 5'10" junior, outside hitter from Winston-Salem, NC was one of the Lady Rams most potent offensive threats last year in a season that saw her get named to the All-CIAA First Team, despite a late-in-the-year, season-ending knee injury. Clark has since completed a rigorous rehabilitation program and looks to 2003 to return to her spectacular form under new head coach LaTaya Hilliard Gray.

Douglas, a 5'9", junior, outside hitter from Raleigh, NC led the Lady Rams last season in every major offensive category, and looks to 2003 to contend for CIAA Player of the Year honors. After being named to the All-CIAA First Team last season she is once again, on pace to break WSSU school records in volleyball despite being only a junior.

Commenting on the selection of Douglas and Clark to the Pre-Season All-CIAA team, recently named head coach Lataya Hilliard-Gray had the following comment:

"I am not surprised in the slightest that both Chasity and Ebony have been selected to the Preseason All-CIAA Team, as they were both named First Team All-CIAA selections at the conclusion of last season. I appreciate the honor that has been bestowed upon them, as they most certainly deserve it, but I look for them to live up to that honor this season as we will need for them to both take a leadership role and lead our team both on an off of the court, as well as get their teammates involved in the process if we are to be even more successful than last season's team. We all have high hopes and goals set for the 2003 team, and these girls are to be commended for their accomplishments, but we here at WSSU refuse to settle for resting on our laurels. We have to prove ourselves again this year."

2003 Preseason All-CIAA Team Josephine Prince FSU SR MB 5'9" Winnabow, NC Toi Jackson FSU SR OH 5'10" Woodbridge,VA Mandie Blackburn NCCU SR S 5'6" Hickory, NC Ayana Wright NCCU SR MH 5'11" Waverly, VA Cherie Wilson NCCU JR OH 5'10" Niles, MI Porche Williams NCCU SO OH 5'11" Long Beach, CA Magaly Gomez SAC SR OH 5'11" Lima, Peru Katrina Johnson SAC SR OH 5'9" Nassau, Bahamas Sophia Minott-Lindsay SAC JR MB 5'11" Kinston, Jamaica Alonna Marable VSU SR MH 5'8" Capital Heights, MD Chasity Clark WSSU JR OH 5'10" Winston-Salem, NC Ebony Douglas WSSU JR OH 5'9" Raleigh, NC