STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Dec. 11, 2002 - Penn State junior Cara Smith (Lafayette, Ind.) and senior Mishka Levy (Houston, Texas) were named Regional All-America selections by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), it was announced today. In addition, freshman setter Sam Tortorello (Shorewood, Ill.) was tabbed as an honorable mention Regional All-America selection.

The three honors raise Penn State's all-time AVCA All-Region total to 36 since 1981. It is the first such honor for Smith and Tortorello and the second for Levy, who also garnered the award in 2000.

Smith has either been leading the nation or ranking second in hitting percentage all season and ended her junior campaign attacking at a .423 clip. That mark places her fourth on Penn State's single-season hitting percentage chart, behind All-Americans Lori Barberich (1981, .501), JoAnn Elwell (1990, .480) and Leanne Kling (1990, .436). The unanimous All-Big Ten selection posted at least six kills and one block in every contest this season, including recording a career-high-tying 19 kills on three separate occasions. Smith was the only Nittany Lion to garner Big Ten Player of the Week honors, doing so the last weekend of the season after she led the Lions in sweeps of Big Ten Champion Minnesota and Iowa while hitting a combined .511 with 4.17 kills per game. Smith was also recently named Academic All-Big Ten for the first time in her career.

Levy, who garnered AVCA Regional All-America honors in 2000, was also named All-Big Ten for her efforts during her senior season. She led the team in kills 10 times in 2002, finishing her Nittany Lion career sixth on the all-time kill list with 1,468 kills during her four-year campaign. She posted a career-high 10 blocks two times this season, with the last coming in Penn State's NCAA second round loss to Temple. Levy becomes only the fifth Nittany Lion to post more than 1,000 career kills and 400 career blocks, as she ended seventh on the career blocking list with 401 career stuffs. Only Lauren Cacciamani (1996-99), Terri Zemaitis (1994-97), JoAnn Elwell (1987-90) and Leanne Kling (1989-92) have also accomplished the feat.

Tortorello, an honorable mention Regional All-America selection, became the first Nittany Lion to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year since four-time All-America selection Bonnie Bremner did so in 1996. Tortorello led the team in assists for 31 of the 33 contests, ending her initial season with 1,338, an average of 12.50 assists per game. She also led the squad in service aces with 37, an average of 0.35 aces per game, and ranked fourth on the team in digs per game with 2.10. Tortorello also picked up Big Ten All-Freshman team and honorable mention All-Big Ten honors this season.

A list of the 2002 AVCA Mideast Region All-America Selections follows:

 Name School Pos. Yr. Melissa Brewer Indiana MH Jr Cassie Busse Minnesota Opp. Jr. Erin Byrd Wisconsin OH Sr. Paula Gentil Minnesota Lib/DS Fr. Stacey Gordon Ohio State OH So. Laura Hageman Ohio MH Jr. Erika Lange Northwestern MH Jr. Mishka Levy Penn State MH Sr. Angela Morley Michigan State MH Sr. Morgan Shields Wisconsin S Jr. Cara Smith Penn State MH Jr. Lindsey Vander Well Minnesota S So. 

Honorable Mention: Lisa Argabright (Illinois, MH, Jr.), Katie Butts (Ball State, OH, Sr.), Erin Moore (Michigan, MH, Jr.) Camila Olaio (Eastern Michigan, S, Sr.), Sam Tortorello (Penn State, S, Fr.), Goedele Van Cauteren (Manhattan College, S/OH, Jr.)

Region Freshman of the Year: Paula Gentil, Minnesota, Lib/DS

For a complete list of AVCA Regional All-America selections, please visit www.avca.org and click on "Collegiate Game" on the left.