HOFSTRA'S CURLEY HEADLINES ALL-CAA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 16, 2006) ? Hofstra University senior middle blocker Elizabeth Curley (Centerville, Mass.) has been named the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Volleyball Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. The announcement was made Thursday at the pre-tournament banquet for the 2006 CAA Volleyball Championship, which will be held at Hofstra for the second straight year from Friday to Sunday.
In addition to Curley, the CAA honored four other individual award winners and also revealed the first, second and All-Rookie teams. Hofstra junior Shellane Ogoshi (Honolulu, Hawaii) garnered the 2006 CAA Setter of the Year award for the second consecutive season. Rookie of the Year honors went to Towson freshman Alysha Fanning (Buchanan, N.Y.). James Madison libero Jena Pierson (San Antonio, Texas) was selected as the CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year and the Dukes’ head coach Disa Garner was presented the 2006 CAA Coach of the Year award.
Curley, who earned second-team all-conference honors in 2004 and was named the 2003 CAA Rookie of the Year, completed the regular season atop the league with a .426 attack percentage and leads the Pride in kills (357), kills per game (3.76) and blocks (120). She is ranked in the top seven in the CAA in each of those categories. The senior middle blocker is currently ranked ninth in the nation in hitting percentage. Curley becomes the first player since Ajola Berisha of American in 1998, and third overall, to earn the conference’s Player of the Year award after not earning any type of award the previous season. The Centerville native earned CAA Player of the Week honors three times this season (Sept. 5, Oct. 2 & Oct. 23).
Ogoshi, who was named the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2004 and in 2005 was honored with CAA Player and Setter of the Year accolades, completed the regular season ranked fifth among the CAA in assists (11.62 apg). A two-time CAA Player of the Week honoree (Sept. 18 & Sept. 25), Ogoshi reached 1,000 career digs on Oct. 20 and is just the third player in Pride history to amass 1,000 digs and 3,000 assists.
Fanning currently stands third in the conference averaging 1.30 blocks per game and eighth with a .288 attack percentage. The freshman middle blocker earned CAA Rookie of the Week accolades twice this season (Sept. 9 & Oct. 9). A consistent starter for the Tigers, she enters the tournament second on the team with 147 total blocks.
Pierson currently leads the CAA in digs (6.31 dpg) and is ranked ninth in Division I in the same category. The junior was ranked as high as fifth in the nation in digs per game earlier this season. Pierson’s 631 digs this season currently tops the JMU’s all-time list and she has jumped to second on the Dukes’ all-time career list in digs with 1,467. She also holds the top spot in career dig average (4.84 dpg).
Garner earns her second CAA Coach of the Year award after leading the Dukes to a second-place finish in the CAA with a 13-5 league record. Earlier this season, the Dukes gave Garner her 100th career victory as head coach of James Madison. During her tenure at JMU, Garner has helped the Dukes to a .755 winning percentage at JMU’s Sinclair Gymnasium, including a 13-2 mark this season.
Joining Curley on the All-CAA first team are 2005 first team All-CAA members Ogoshi and VCU’s Ludmila Francescatto (Fraiburga, Brazil). They are joined by 2005 second team All-CAA members Towson’s Christina Grempler (Severna Park, Md.) and James Madison’s Allyson Halls (Columbus, Ohio). Delaware’s Kelly Gibson (Taos, N.M.), who was honored on the All-Rookie team a year ago, also made the first team with first-time honoree JMU’s Jena Pierson (San Antonio, Texas).
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All-CAA First Team |
|
|
|
|
Player, School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Hometown/Previous School |
|
Elizabeth Curley, Hofstra |
Sr. |
MB |
Centerville, Mass./Barnstable |
|
Ludmila Francescatto, VCU* |
Sr. |
OH |
Fraiburga, Brazil/Arizona Western Coll. |
|
Kelly Gibson, Delaware*** |
So. |
OH |
Taos, N.M./Taos |
|
Christina Grempler, Towson** |
Sr. |
MB |
Severna Park, Md./Severna Park |
|
Allyson Halls, James Madison** |
Jr. |
MB |
Columbus, Ohio/Olentangy |
|
Shellane Ogoshi, Hofstra* |
Jr. |
S |
Honolulu, Hawaii/Roosevelt |
|
Jena Pierson, James Madison |
Jr. |
L |
San Antonio, Texas/James Madison HS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
All-CAA Second Team |
|
|
|
|
Player, School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Hometown/Previous School |
|
Kira Batura, Northeastern |
Jr. |
L/OH |
Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South |
|
Jaqueline Kohler, George Mason |
Jr. |
OH |
Curitiba, Brazil/Colegio Expoente |
|
Lauren Miles, James Madison |
So. |
S |
Tampa, Fla./Tampa Prep |
|
Beverly Rivera, Hofstra |
Sr. |
OH |
Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach |
|
Kimberly Snider, Towson** |
Jr. |
S |
Carrollton, Texas/Hebron |
|
Colleen Walsh, Delaware** |
Jr. |
OH |
Cleveland, Ohio/Regina |
|
CAA Player of the Year: Elizabeth Curley, Hofstra |
|
CAA Setter of the Year: Shellane Ogoshi, Hofstra |
|
CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year: Jena Pierson, James Madison |
|
CAA Rookie of the Year: Alysha Fanning, Towson |
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CAA Coach of the Year: Disa Garner, James Madison |
|
|
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*First Team All-CAA in 2005 |
|
**Second Team All-CAA in 2005 |
|
***All-Rookie Team in 2005 |
|
CAA All-Rookie Team |
|
|
|
|
Player, School |
Cl. |
Pos. |
Hometown/Previous School |
|
Noelle Boyd, Georgia State |
Fr. |
S |
Alrington, Texas/Martin |
|
Katie Corcoran, George Mason |
Fr. |
S |
Allentown, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic |
|
Alysha Fanning, Towson |
Fr. |
MB |
Buchanan, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson |
|
Michelle LaLonde, Delaware |
Fr. |
MH |
Wooster, Ohio/Wooster |
|
Kelly Matthias, Delaware |
Fr. |
MH |
Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown |
|
Paula McConnell, UNC Wilmington |
Fr. |
MB |
Parker, Colo./Ponderosa |
|
Kaitlin McFaddin, James Madison |
Fr. |
OH |
Natural Bridge Station, Va./Rockbridge |
|
Rebecca Walter, George Mason |
Fr. |
OH |
Monbulk, Victoria, Australia/Monbulk College HS |