June 9, 2005

LYNCHBURG, Va. - University of Virginia rising fourth-year third baseman Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) has been selected as the 2005 Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division All-State Softball Player of the Year. It marks the second consecutive season Larquier has been tabbed as the top player in the state. Larquier is joined on the 11-player VaSID All-State team by right fielder Jessica Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa./Germantown Academy) and second baseman Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University).

In addition to being selected as the VaSID Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, Larquier is a three-time All-State pick. Larquier captured All-Southeast Region honors for the second time in her career as she was named to the second team this season. She was also honored as the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Player of the Year and garnered All-ACC accolades for the third consecutive year with her first-team selection. The 2004 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Third Team All-American hit .348 (73-210) with a school record 34 extra-base hits in 63 games this season. She led all ACC players with a school-record tying 19 doubles, seven triples, 54 RBI, and 130 total bases. She was also second in the conference with a .619 slugging percentage and 73 hits. Larquier, who started all 63 games, was second on the team with eight home runs and also led UVa with 21 multiple-hit and 14 multiple-RBI contests. In just three years, Larquier is tied for third among all ACC players with 51 career doubles, is fifth in RBI with 154 and stands seventh in home runs with 27. Her 27 homers are two shy of the Virginia school record. She also needs just four RBI and seven doubles to tie the school marks in those categories.

Crockett, a rising third-year, captures VaSID All-State honors for the second consecutive season. The second baseman was a second-team All-Southeast Region selection and also garnered second-team All-ACC honors in 2005. Crockett was one of two Cavaliers named to the ACC All-Tournament Team as well. She started 60 games at second base and led the team with a career-best .374 (70-187) batting average, which was also second among all ACC players. Here 54 runs scored are the third highest single season total in school history and led the ACC. Crockett drove in 17 runs, walked 24 times and had 20 multiple-hit games, including a school-record tying four hits in two contests. She tied the single season stolen base record with 24 and her 41 career steals ranks fifth all-time. Crockett tallied an impressive .981 fielding percentage in 2005 with only five errors in 262 total chances. Over the final 19 games of the season, Crockett hit .593 with 35 hits in her last 59 at-bats. She tallied six hits in the ACC Tournament and led all players with a .545 batting average (6-11). Crockett hit safely in all four games of the tourney to extend her hitting streak to 11 games.

Taylor, the Cavaliers' starting right fielder, captures VaSID All-State honors for the first time. The rising fourth-year started all 63 games, including the final 44 in right field. Taylor hit .309 (63-204) and scored 35 runs. She had 15 extra-base hits, including her first career home run, and drove in 12 runs. Taylor led the team with 10 sacrifice hits and was second with 14 stolen bases. She also registered 17 multiple-hit contests. With 37 career stolen bases, Taylor ranks seventh all-time at UVa.

Virginia Tech joined UVa with three players earning VaSID All-State Softball honors. Radford had a pair of players named to the team, while Hampton, Liberty and Longwood each had one player selected to the team.

Virginia concluded its 2005 season with a 31-32 overall record and finished third in the ACC regular season standings with a 9-8 mark. The Cavaliers also finished third in the ACC Tournament with a 2-2 record.