CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – On Tuesday, the Patriot League announced the annual volleyball honors with the four squads qualifying for the 2016 Volleyball Championship earning 13 of the 14 spots on the All-Patriot League teams. In addition, American collected three of the five major awards, while Navy received the other two.
American sophomore outside hitter Aleksandra Kazala was named the Patriot League Player of the Year, and freshman middle blocker Vela McBride was named the Rookie of the Year. From Navy, sophomores Patricia Mattingly and Sydney Shearn garnered Setter of the Year and Libero of the Year, respectively. American head coach Barry Goldberg was selected as the Patriot League Coach of the Year.
The Eagles had four All-League nods, including three first-team selections. Army West Point also placed four on the All-League teams, with one on the first team and three on the second team. Colgate had three All-League selections with a pair on second team, while Navy saw two athletes honored. Holy Cross rounded out the group with one selection.
Voting was conducted by the League’s nine head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own student athletes.
Kazala becomes the seventh Eagle to receive Player of the Year, marking the 12th honor for the program since joining the League in 2001. The Debica, Poland native was a unanimous selection to the first team and finished League play with the second most kills (211) and average (4.31 k/s). Hitting .308 overall this season, she also boasts the second most kills in the League and leads the team with 451 kills. Joining Kazala on the first team from American were sophomore setter Kennedy Etheridge and junior middle blocker Loren McKenzie.
Mattingly received first team All-League honors and is the first Midshipmen to be named Setter of the Year since the awards inception in 2006. Across 61 sets in Patriot League play, the New Albany, Ind. native dished out a League-high 608 assists while tallying the second-best average of 9.97 assists per set.
Shearn, a second team selection, paced the Patriot League averaging 4.67 digs per set while accumulating 285 digs across 61 sets. The Louisville, Ky. native receives the first Libero of the Year for Navy since the award began in 2011. She leads the Midshipmen with 447 digs and also with 32 service aces.
McBride is the seventh player in American program history to earn Rookie of the Year and is the second-straight Eagle to receive the award. The Reston, Va. native earned second team honors and amassed the third most kills on the team (188) and is second on the team with 71 blocks. She is second in the League with a .354 hitting percentage.
Goldberg, in his 28th season as head coach of the Eagles, receives his sixth Patriot League Coach of the Year honor, and led American to a first-place finish for the 14th time, in 16 seasons as a member of the League.
Army West Point junior middle blocker Carolyn Bockrath, the League’s hitting percentage leader (.378), was named to the first team, while teammates senior right side hitter Olivia Fairfield, freshman outside hitter Allie Strong, and junior middle blocker Vanessa Wesley were voted to the second team.
Colgate was represented by three players on the All-League squads, with unanimous selection senior outside hitter Kathleen Harris being named to the first team, and sophomore middle blocker Jaelah Hutchison and senior right side hitter Katie Stebbins earning second team honors.
Rounding out the All-League honors is Holy Cross senior outside hitter Many Sifferlen, who was a unanimous selection and finished as the kills leader in League play with 280.
The 2016 Patriot League Tournament will be held in Bender Arena, marking the 14th time in program history that the Eagles play as host. They will take on fourth-seeded Navy in Saturday’s first semifinal match at 1:05 p.m. Later, No. 2 Colgate will face No. 3 Army West Point in the second semifinal contest at 4:05 p.m. The winners of the two matches will then advance to Sunday’s championship match at 1 p.m. and play for the League title and automatic berth to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
2016 Patriot League Volleyball Major Award Winners and All-League Teams
Player of the Year: Aleksandra Kazala, American
Setter of the Year: Patricia Mattingly, Navy
Libero of the Year: Sydney Shearn, Navy
Rookie of the Year: Vela McBride, American
Coach of the Year: Barry Goldberg, American
First Team All-League
Kennedy Etheridge, American, So., S
Aleksandra Kazala, American, So., OH*
Loren McKenzie, American, Jr., MB
Carolyn Bockrath, Army West Point, Jr., MB
Kathleen Harris, Colgate, Sr., OH*
Mandy Sifferlen, Holy Cross, Sr., OH*
Patricia Mattingly, Navy, So., S
Second Team All-League
Vela McBride, American, Fr., MB
Olivia Fairfield, Army West Point, Sr., RS
Allie Strong, Army West Point, Fr., OH
Vanessa Wesley, Army West Point, Jr., MB
Jaelah Hutchison, Colgate, So., MB
Katie Stebbins, Colgate, Sr., RS
Sydney Shearn, Navy, So., L
* indicates a unanimous selection