Nov. 25, 2008

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Whitney Billings, a recent signee with the UK Volleyball team, was tabbed a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) third annual Under Armour All-American High School Volleyball Team. Billings earned first-team status on the 2008 team.

For the first time in the award’s three-year history, both a First-Team and a Second-Team were honored, with 24 players on each. The 48 players represent 23 states and 44 high schools. Many have already committed to play collegiate volleyball at some of the top programs in the country.

Each of the 24 players on the First-Team will be invited to play in the inaugural Under Armour All-America High School Volleyball Match and Skills Competition. The event will be held at Qwest Center Omaha, Dec. 21, in Omaha, Neb., in conjunction with the 2008 AVCA Annual Convention. Kentucky’s Billings has accepted her invitation and will appear in the match on Dec. 21.

Requirements for nomination were that the student-athlete be in her senior year of high school, that she be nominated by her high school coach, that her coach be a member of the AVCA and that her season statistics be entered into MaxPreps, a free service that aggregates and distributes data on high school sports.

Billings is an outside hitter/middle blocker from Helena, Ala. She was a two-time National High School Player of the Year finalist at Pelham High School. She has earned six varsity letters in her time at Pelham, and has twice been named to the Birmingham News All-State first team. As a junior she was the Metro Player of the Year and the Shelby County Player of the Year. In her sophomore season she was named to the Class 6A State All-Tournament team.

For more information on the Under Armour All-America High School Volleyball Match and Skills Competition, go to www.avca.org and look for the match logo on the homepage.

Follow along with the UK volleyball team all season long at UKathletics.com.