FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-46-04-05
Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Elizabethtown First-Years Kelly Downs and Ashley Whitmarsh Named to All-Commonwealth Conference Volleyball Team; Whitmarsh Named Co-Rookie of the Year

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College two Elizabethtown College first-year students, Kelly Downs (Airville, PA/Red Lion) and Ashley Whitmarsh (New Castle, DE/Padua Academy) have been named to the All-Commonwealth Conference Second Team in volleyball for the 2004 season. Also, Whitmarsh has been named the Commonwealth Conference Co-Rookie of the Year.

Downs, a middle hitter, has thus far posted a .367 hitting percentage, the best among Elizabethtown's hitters and fourth in the conference, totaling 280 kills in 607 attacks with only 57 errors. She also leads both Elizabethtown and the Commonwealth Conference in blocks with 124 in her rookie season. Downs made the All-Tournament Team at the University of Scranton Tournament and was the Tournament MVP at the Elizabethtown Blue Jay Classic Tournament in September.

Whitmarsh, an outside hitter, is second on the Blue Jays in kills with 289 and is tied for second in the conference in kills per game with 3.57. She has a .273 hitting percentage in 755 total attacks. She has also compiled 34 service aces and 152 digs in her first collegiate season. Whitmarsh made the All-Tournament Teams of both the University of Scranton Tournament and the Elizabethtown Blue Jay Classic Tournament in September.

The Elizabethtown College women's volleyball team is currently 24-8 overall. The Blue Jays finished second in the Commonwealth Conference regular-season standings with a 5-2 record after being picked to finish seventh in the pre-season conference coaches' poll. As a result of its regular season finish, Elizabethtown will host Susquehanna University tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the opening round of the Commonwealth Conference playoffs. It is the first post-season match for Etown since 1995. The winner of tonight's Etown-Susquehanna match will advance to face the winner of tonight's Juniata-Lebanon Valley match in the conference championship Saturday.