Jan. 30, 2009

ST. LOUIS - On Friday, Saint Louis junior Sammi McCloud (Columbia, Ill. / Columbia) became the first player in program history to become a two-time All-American when she was recognized as an Under Armour-Volleyball Magazine All-America honorable mention selection. Earlier this year, she was chosen as an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Third Team honoree.

"I couldn't be more proud of Sammi," SLU head coach Anne Kordes said. "With her work ethic and dedication, it's no surprise that she has put herself in a position to become one of the best players in the nation."

McCloud, the first Billiken to earn a spot on one of the AVCA All-America teams, also became the first SLU player to be named Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year after guiding the Bills to their second A-10 regular-season title in the last three seasons. The versatile 6-foot-2 right-side hitter finished the season ranked second on the team with 421 kills, 61 assists, 37 service aces, 336 digs and 76 blocks. She was an A-10 first team selection for the second straight season after garnering a league-high and program-best four Player of the Week honors.

McCloud was also named Sport Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week on Sept. 8 after guiding the Bills to a 3-1 win over then-No. 3 Stanford. The three-time A-10 All-Championship team pick finished the 2008 campaign among the top 10 in the league in kills, points and service aces per set as well as hitting percentage. McCloud ranks ninth on Saint Louis' career kills (1,100) and points (1302.0) charts, and is 12th on the block assists list (200).

The Billikens (29-5), who earned the 13th overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, finished one of the best seasons in program history ranked No. 21 in the Bison/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll. SLU, which also captured the program's first NCAA Tournament win in 2008, completed the season ranked eighth in the final RPI (ratings percentage index).