ROCK HILL, S.C. --- Tusculum College's Caitlyn Dean and Sam Underwood have been named to the 2011 All-South Atlantic Conference Volleyball First Team announced league officials Thursday. Dean and Underwood garner All-SAC accolades for a second straight year, while Dean earns a spot on the First Team for a second consecutive season.

Dean, a 5-5 sophomore libero from Fort Wayne, Ind., is currently second on the nation in digs, averaging 6.54 per contest. She has posted 25 or more digs in 12 matches this season, including six times with 30 or more and three with 40-plus digs. The 2010 Daktronics First Team All-American established a school single-match record with 49 digs in her last outing against Lincoln Memorial University. In her last six matches, she is tallying 8.43 digs per set.

In 2010, the Northrop High School graduate set a NCAA II single-season record with 845 digs and was the national statistical champion, averaging 7.1 digs per set (new Tusculum record). Last year, she was named to the Daktronics and AVCA All-Southeast Region First Teams and was an All-SAC First Team honoree. Dean's 6.85 career digs per set average is currently the best in school history, while her 1,479 total digs are third in the TC record book.

Underwood, a 6-1 junior outside hitter from Muncie, Ind., leads team with 267 kills and 100 sets played. The 2010 All-SAC Second Team selection has accounted for double-digit kills in 14 matches and double-digit digs on 15 occasions. Underwood has also posted eight double-doubles in 2011. This season, she is averaging 2.93 digs, 0.54 blocks and has accumulated a team-best 310 points.

For her career, she has led Tusculum to a 60-33 overall record in her three seasons, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament. In her 87 career matches, Underwood has posted 796 kills, 121 assists, 73 service aces, 881 digs, 138 blocks and 949.5 points.

The Pioneers are the No. 4 seed in this week's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament, and they will face fifth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in a quarterfinal round match at Mars Gym on the campus of Lincoln Memorial in Harrogate, Tenn. The winner of the Tusculum/Lenoir-Rhyne match will face either Wingate or Carson-Newman in a Saturday semifinal. The Food Lion SAC Tournament final will be played on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Tusculum is also ranked sixth in the latest NCAA II Southeast Region Poll.

- SAC -

2011 All-South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Team
First Team
Jordan Raye, Catawba
Kaitlyn Whitmer, Catawba
Blaire Fowler, Lincoln Memorial
Caitlyn Dean, Tusculum (libero)
Sam Underwood, Tusculum
Anna Hilton, Wingate
Cory McGowan, Wingate
Liz Willis, Wingate

Second Team
Nikki James, Carson-Newman
Shay Meeks, Catawba
Jenny Young, Catawba (libero)
Brooke Christenbury, Lenoir-Rhyne
Candace Richardson, Lincoln Memorial
Maggie Murphy, Mars Hill (libero)
Marissa Wixson, Mars Hill
Samantha Parrish, Newberry
Grace Krauser, Wingate

SAC All-Freshman Team
Lauren Santarelli, Carson-Newman
Haley Rhyne, Lenoir-Rhyne
Allison Beavers, Lincoln Memorial
Laura Prachar, Newberry
Susie Murach, Wingate
Lexi Potter, Wingate

SAC Player of the Year: Liz Willis, Wingate
SAC Freshman of the Year: Lexi Potter, Wingate
SAC Coach of the Year: Shelton Collier, Wingate
SAC Scholar Athlete for Volleyball: Liz Willis, Wingate