University of New Hampshire junior Alyson Coler was selected America East Volleyball Player of the Year, in voting conducted by the conference's head coaches. Northeastern University's Larissa Adomat was named Rookie of the Year. Seventh-year New Hampshire head coach Jill Hirschinger was named Coach of the Year. Setter of the Year went to Northeastern's Kristin Ursillo, while Sasha Scott of New Hampshire won Defensive Specialist of the Year.
Coler leads the Wildcats in kills with 4.41 per game, recorded 20 or more kills nine times this year, and currently leads New Hampshire with 507 kills, a new school single-season record. She was an All-Conference selection last season, after being honored as the Rookie of the Year in 2000.
Adomat had a standout rookie season, leading the America East in hitting percentage at .370, while tallying 3.45 kills per game, good for second on Northeastern and ninth in the conference. She chipped in with 0.83 blocks per game, and was a three-time America East Rookie of the Week honoree as well as earning Player of the Week once.
Hirschinger, in her seventh season at New Hampshire, led the Wildcats to a 21-10 regular season record, the fifth time in her seven seasons that her squad has topped 20 wins, and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming America East Championship. Hirschinger was also named Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998.
Ursillo has been the catalyst for the Husky offense, averaging a team and conference leading 11.76 assists per game. She recorded 40 or more assists in 24 games this season, including 12 of the last 13. She was named the Setter of the Year last season.
Scott helped lead a solid New Hampshire defense to 21 wins and the No. 1 seed in the championship. She leads the Wildcats and ranks second in the conference with 3.80 digs per game.
Coler, Adomat, and Ursillo, all named to the All-Conference team, are joined by three-time All-Conference honoree Erin Spangler of Northeastern. Spangler was second in the conference in hitting percentage (.335) and third in blocks (1.09 bpg). Also on the All-Conference team is University of Hartford's Stephanie Volckers, last year's Rookie of the Year, who was first in the conference with 5.36 kills per game. First in the conference in blocks per game is Binghamton University's Anne Crocus with a 1.55 bpg average. University of Maine's Carmen Gabriel, an Honorable Mention and All-Rookie selection last season, led the Black Bears in assists (8.97 apg) and digs (3.02 dpg).
Northeastern had four players named to the All-Conference team. Joining Ursillo, Adomat, and Spangler is Lindsay Wagner, a 2000 All-Conference honoree who led the Huskies with 3.45 blocks per game. University at Albany's Alissa Gibbs repeats as All-Conference pick after averaging 3.80 kills per game. Lauren Knight of New Hampshire moves up from Honorable Mention status a year ago after recording 3.46 kills per game and 0.72 blocks per game. Stony Brook University's LaToya Byerly and Julie Zub round out the team. Byerly leads the Seawolves in kills with 3.62 kpg. She was named Player of the Week once this season. Zub was a two-time Setter of the Week honoree and was third in the conference with 11.10 assists per game.
The honorable mention comprises of Albany's Jill Dombrowski and Eileen Nicole Rodriguez, Hartford's Kelly McEathron and Danielle Scoggin, and New Hampshire's Anne Davis and Erin Ludwig.
The All-Rookie team is made up of Rodriguez, Adomat, Alexis Bowens of Albany, Leah Guidinger of Maine, and New Hampshire's Amy Dai and Karen Harrington.
Nine of the 12 all-conference selections, four of the honorable mention players, and five all-rookie picks will be in action this weekend at the America East Championship at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, N.H.. The semifinals begin Saturday, November 23 with No. 1 New Hampshire vs. No. 4 Albany at 1 p.m. followed by No. 2 Northeastern vs. No. 3 Stony Brook at 3:30 p.m. The championship game will be Sunday at 1 p.m.