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Nov. 14, 2008
Central Islip, N.Y. - The 2008 All-Conference volleyball team was announced today by the East Coast Conference. The Panthers were represented on each of the three teams. Setter and right side hitter, Maja Potpara of Dowling College was named Player and Rookie of the Year as selected by the league's coaches, while Valerie Steen of the University of Bridgeport was named Coach of the Year. Senior Kathleen Carney led the Panthers and was named a first team honoree. This is the first such award for the Wichita, Kansas native who currently ranks third on the team in kills this season with 274 and fourth in the record books in single season kills with 348 during the 2007 season. Heather Mau, a sophomore setter from Honolulu, Hawaii was named a second team all-conference performer. A first time award winner, Mau has made her mark in Adelphi history by posting 1,392 assists so far this season which places her first in single season assists and fourth all-time in career assists. Additionally, she is first on the team in service aces with 67, which is also good enough for third all-time for single season service aces. Junior libero, Amy Williams received her second honor following her ECC All-Tournament selection in 2007 with third team honors this season. The Bloomington, Indiana native leads the team in digs with 616 on the season which surpasses the Adelphi single season digs record in which she set at 567 last season. Potpara has dominated the court in her first season wearing blue and gold. Defensively, she averages 1.72 digs per game while pitching in with 51 totals blocks, including three solo tallies. Potpara helped to control the offense, averaging 5.31 assists per game and currently leads the team with 306 total kills. Hitting .331, she averages 2.67 kills per game and ranks 18th nationally in service aces, averaging .61 per game. Valerie Steen has been voted the 2008 East Coast Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year. She led the Purple Knights to a 25-12 overall record with an 11-4 mark in the conference for a second place regular season finish. This was the first season in program history that Bridgeport tallied over twenty victories. Reaching a personal milestone in her fifth season at the helm, Steen notched her 100th career win this season in a sweep over Southern New Hampshire on November 9. The Golden Lions placed six players on All-Conference Teams. Patrycja Klekotka joins Potpara on the First Team, Monika Kasperek and Marina Markovic earn Second Team honors while Erin Przybylowicz and Kelly Scott were named to the Third Team. Emma Ariyo of the University of Bridgeport garners First Team honors. Teammate Ivana Kovacevic-Jurasin was named to the Second Team and Milica Milcovic rounds out the Purple Knights' recipients with Third Team honors. Queens College middles Natalie Edward and Enobong Shammah round out the First Team recipients. CW Post places Lucia Krskova on the Second Team and Laura Maehlmann on the Third Team while Dena McKinney and Shelby Klein, both of NYIT, earn Second and Third Team honors respectively. 2008 Volleyball All-Conference Teams First Team: Emma Ariyo, Jr., MB, Bridgeport Kathleen Carney, Sr., OPP, Adelphi Natalie Edward, Sr., MB, Queens Patrycja Klekotka, Jr., OH, Dowling Maja Potpara, Fr., S/RS, Dowling Enobong Shammah, Gr., MB, Queens Second Team: Monika Kasperek, So., MB, Dowling Ivana Kovacevic-Jurasin, So., OH, Bridgeport Lucia Krskova, Gr., S, CW Post Dena McKinney, Sr., MB, NYIT Marina Markovic, Jr., OH, Dowling Heather Mau, So., S, Adelphi Third Team: Shelby Klein, Jr., OH, NYIT Laura Maehlmann, Fr., OH, CW Post Milica Micovic, Jr., OH, Bridgeport Erin Przybylowicz, So., S, Dowling Kelly Scott, Jr., MB, Dowling Amy Williams, Jr., L, Adelphi
Player of the Year: Maja Potpara, Dowling Rookie of the Year: Maja Potpara, Dowling Coach of the Year: Valerie Steen, Bridgeport |
