TOWSON'S BUCK HEADLINES 2011 ALL-CAA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
NEWARK, Del. (Nov. 17, 2011) - Towson sophomore Katy Buck has been named the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association volleyball Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches. Buck received the honor at the annual awards banquet held Thursday night on the eve of the CAA Volleyball Championship in Newark, Del.
Others earning top volleyball honors from the conference were Delaware senior Renee Tomko as CAA Setter of the Year and Northeastern freshman Natalia Skiba as Defensive Specialist of the Year. Skiba's fellow freshman teammate Jillian Briner was voted CAA Rookie of the Year, while Towson's Bruce Atkinson was named Coach of the Year.
Buck is the second Towson player to garner CAA Player of the Year accolades after serving up a sensational sophomore season. The versatile outside hitter was the centerpiece of a Tiger offensive attack that concluded the regular season ranked first in kills per set and assists per set. Buck's 4.08 kills per set and 4.34 points per set were tops in the league. The Catonsville, Md. native also anchored the Towson defense, ranking second on the squad with 257 digs. The sophomore outside hitter helped the Tigers record 10 conference wins for the first time since 2006.
Tomko earns Setter of the Year honors after spreading 10.67 assists per set and leading the Blue Hens to a league leading hitting percentage of .252 in conference matches. The senior setter was one of only two players in the conference to average at least 11 helpers per set in league play. The Jefferson Hills, Pa. native helped Delaware earn the top-seed and home court advantage in this year's tournament for the second straight season.
Skiba is the first Northeastern player in program history to be selected CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year. The freshman libero was dominant defensively this year as she led the league with 5.21 digs per set through the regular season. She was the only CAA player to average over five digs per set. Skiba's defensive prowess helped the Huskies hold opponents to a .197 hitting percentage in league play.
Briner is the third Northeastern player to earn Rookie of the Year accolades. The freshman setter/outside hitter was a mainstay in the Huskies' starting lineup this season, starting 25 of 26 matches. Briner completed her freshman campaign ranked third on the team in kills per set (2.18), second in assists per set (5.06), while ranking second in the league with 40 service aces.
Atkinson was selected as CAA Coach of the Year for the first time in only his second season at the helm. Atkinson's squad secured the third seed in this year's tournament, which is Towson's first appearance in CAA postseason play since 2008. The third-seed is the highest for the Tigers since 2006. Atkinson led Towson to 23 wins which is the program's most since the 2005 season. The team finished the regular season as the conference leader in assists per set (13.19), kills per set (14.23) and opponent hitting percentage (.171).
Delaware led the league with two players on the All-CAA First Team. Tomko was joined by junior outside hitter Alissa Alker (3.11 k/s, 3.20 d/s). Four other teams each had one player receive first team all-conference honors. In addition to Towson's Buck, Georgia State senior middle blocker Vineece Verdun (3.30 k/s, 3.98 pts/s), James Madison junior outside hitter Natalie Abel (3.02 k/s, 3.24 d/s) and Northeastern sophomore outside hitter Janelle Tucker (3.12 k/s, 3.54 pts/s) were voted to the squad.
2011 ALL-CAA VOLLEYBALL TEAMS
Selected by CAA Volleyball Coaches
FIRST TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School
Natalie Abel, James Madison Jr. OH Washington, Pa./Trinity
Alissa Alker, Delaware Jr. OH San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch
Katy Buck, Towson So. OH Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales Academy
Renee Tomko, Delaware Sr. S Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson
Janelle Tucker, Northeastern So. OH Encino, Calif./Campbell Hall
Vineece Verdun, Georgia State Sr. MB Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Andover
SECOND TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School
Kristin Boyd, VCU Jr. OH Wilmington, N.C./John T. Hoggard
Courtney Hott, VCU Sr. MB Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland
Aubrey Kirven, Towson Jr. S Uniontown, Ohio/Lake
Christi Laite, UNCW So. RS Severna Park, Md./Severna Park
Chelsea Lawrence, Delaware Jr. MH Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township
Natalia Skiba, Northeastern Fr. L Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central
THIRD TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School
Kelly Bacon, Northeastern So. OH Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley
Danielle Erb, James Madison Jr. OH Tampa, Fla./Plant
Muki Kangwa, Georgia State Sr. OH Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers
Nichole Kurz, Northeastern So. MH San Diego, Calif./Patrick Henry
Kylee Maneja, Hofstra Jr. L Kapolei, Hawaii/Sacred Hearts Academy
Kim Stewart, Delaware Sr. OH Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood
Lana Zonjic, George Mason So. OH Zagreb, Croatia/II Gimnazjia Zagreb
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School
Cecilia Aragao, VCU Fr. S Recife, Brazil/Colegio Contato
Jillian Briner, Northeastern Fr. S/OH Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park & River Forest
Kristi Richardson, James Madison Fr. S Glen Allen, Va./Hermitage
Paige Sekerak, Towson Fr. DS Montgomery Village, Md./Poolesville
Natalia Skiba, Northeastern Fr. L Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central
Kelsie Wills, Hofstra Fr. OH Matamata, New Zealand/Matamata College
2011 CAA Player of the Year: Katy Buck, Towson
2011 CAA Setter of the Year: Renee Tomko, Delaware
2011 CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year: Natalia Skiba, Northeastern
2011 CAA Rookie of the Year: Jillian Briner, Northeastern
2011 CAA Coach of the Year: Bruce Atkinson, Towson
