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Five Truman volleyball players were selected to the 2010 all-MIAA squads, headlined by a first-team selection for last season’s National Freshman of the Year, Megan Sharpe, and third-team honors for seniors Allison Barker and Ashley Petak.

Senior Casey Bruno and junior Molly Sinclair were also listed as honorable mention players for the Bulldogs, who start NCAA tournament play on Thursday after going 25-7 during the regular season and finishing third in the MIAA.

Sharpe jumped to the first-team after being named second-team all-conference and both MIAA and National Freshman of the Year in 2009.

She is averaging 2.56 kills per set and is hitting at a team-high .330 clip, while also leading the squad in blocks with 113 (0.97/set).

Her numbers have only gone up against stiffer competition, as she is hitting .354 this year against teams that spent at least a week in the regional rankings.

Barker and Petak  both reached the third-team for the first time in their careers, as Petak has been named honorable mention each of the past two seasons.

Barker is the team-leader in kills (316) and has added 3.57 digs per set for the second-highest total on the squad.

Petak, meanwhile, leads the Bulldogs’ 6-2 setting system with 5.86 per set and has added 2.55 digs per set and 35 total service aces.

After being named third-team all-MIAA in 2009, Bruno  returned to the all-conference team as an honorable mention selection after leading Truman with 537 digs (4.59 per set) and 24 service aces.

Meanwhile, Sinclair  was recognized for the first time in her career on the honorable mention squad following a regular season that saw her lead the Bulldogs in kills per set (2.89) and earn the program’s first National Player of the Week award since 2003.

Under the direction of second-year head coach Ben Briney, the Bulldogs will face Abilene Christian (Texas) at 12 pm on Thursday (Nov. 18) afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, held on the UCM campus in Warrensburg, Mo.

Courtesy Truman State University