Nazareth Area High School girls volleyball tournament to honor memory of Courtney Diacont

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/09/nazareth_area_high_school_girl_19.html FROM THE EXPRESS TIMES Weekend girls volleyball tournaments are the norm this time of year. But, when 14 teams gather at Nazareth Area High School Saturday, the sole purpose won't be tuning up against varied competition. The overarching goal will be to honor the memory of a former Blue Eagle and raise money for a worthy cause. Nazareth will host the first Courtney Anne Diacont Memorial Volleyball Tournament to benefit The Courtney Anne Diacont Memorial Foundation. Diacont succumbed to colon cancer at the age of 18 in 2007 and was a four-year player on the Nazareth volleyball team. She was diagnosed with the disease during her junior year, deemed in remission before her senior year, but fell ill again during her senior season. "She was always in the gym even between chemotherapy sessions and radiation," Nazareth coach Jill Lichty said. "It was important to us that we honor her in some way." Lichty said that Diacont was special to many people in the Nazareth community and the school as a whole. Proceeds from the event will go towards the memorial foundation, which was established by Diacont's parents Chuck and Mary. The foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors and promotes awareness and research of colorectal cancer. Liberty, Easton, Southern Lehigh and Pius X are among the area teams scheduled to participate with other competitors coming from as far away as Long Island, N.Y.