ROCHESTER, NY – Empire 8 Athletic Conference runner-up Stevens Institute of Technology put four players on the all-conference teams, including outside hitter Maggie Kowalska who headlined the Ducks picks, sitting atop the conference lists as the 2012 Player of the Year. Nazareth senior Brittany Crocetti was chosen as the Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year while Golden Flyers mentor Cal Wickens was tabbed the Coach of the Year. Ithaca’s Carly Garone, one of two Bombers on the conference teams, earned the Rookie of the Year honor.
Kowalska led the Ducks to a 17-18 record, 7-1 in Empire 8 regular season play. The Ducks entered the tournament as the #2 seed and made their way to the championship match, but were defeated by Nazareth, 3-2. Kowalska was named to the all-tournament team after tallying a season high 27 kills and 12 digs. It marked her 27th match of the season hitting double figure kills and the 16th time she posted a double-double in the box score. For the season, Kowalska totaled a single-season school record 505 kills (3.83 per set), 371 digs, 97 blocks and 53 service aces.
Crocetti, a libero and setter, led the Golden Flyers with 363 digs, good enough for 2.56 per game. She also dished out 767 assists and totaled 64 service aces. Crocetti registered 15 double figure dig totals, including a season-high 29 digs against Plattsburgh. She contributed 21 digs in the Empire 8 Championship match as the Golden Flyers claimed their second E8 title in a row and fifth overall.
Garone came on strong in her first season as a Bomber. She finished the year with 728 assists in 94 games (7.74 per game), while picking up 76 kills and 193 digs. Garone registered seven double-doubles on the season in the assist/dig column. Her match high of 47 assists came on opening weekend in the 3-1 win against Rutgers-Newark.
Wickens enjoys his second straight and third overall Empire 8 top-coaching honor (2006, 2011, 2012). He coached fourth-seeded Nazareth to weekend wins over top-seeded Elmira and Stevens to lead the Golden Flyers to their second straight conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. Nazareth brings a 22-14 overall record and a five-match winning streak to Clarkson this weekend for NCAA regional play.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2012 Volleyball Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Listed below are the complete 2012 Empire 8 Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Teams.
Empire 8 2012 Volleyball All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Maggie Kowalska, Stevens Institute of Technology
Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year: Brittany Crocetti
Rookie of the Year: Carly Garone, Ithaca College
Coach of the Year: Cal Wickens, Nazareth College
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FIRST TEAM |
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Name |
Yr |
Pos |
School |
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Sasha Zavadska |
Sr |
OH |
Elmira |
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Marissa Weil |
Sr |
OH |
Ithaca |
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Maria Allocco |
So |
MB |
Nazareth |
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Aubrey Cooke |
Sr |
RS/S |
Nazareth |
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Amy Johnson |
Sr |
MB/OH |
Nazareth |
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Maggie Kowalska |
Sr |
OH |
Stevens |
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SECOND TEAM |
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Tayrn Rumsey |
Jr |
OH |
Elmira |
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Molly SHort |
Sr |
S |
Elmira |
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Rebecca Dennee |
Sr |
MB |
Houghton |
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Laurel Wroblicky |
So |
L |
Houghton |
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Carly Garone |
Fr |
S |
Ithaca |
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Brittany Crocetti |
Sr |
L/S |
Nazareth |
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Megan Miller |
Fr |
OH |
St. John Fisher |
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Samantha Gates |
Jr |
S |
Stevens |
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HONORABLE MENTION |
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Chelsea Hall |
Jr |
OH |
Alfred |
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Dana Martin |
So |
OH |
Hartwick |
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Hannah Strom |
Fr |
OH |
Hartwick |
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Hattie Burgher |
Fr |
OH |
Houghton |
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Lindsay Burgher |
Sr |
OH |
Houghton |
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Chelsea Beecher |
So |
OH |
Nazareth |
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Rachael Kline |
Jr |
MB |
St. John Fisher |
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Mary Caulson |
Jr |
OH |
Stevens |
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Katie Hall |
So |
OH/MB |
Stevens |
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SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR |
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Jennifer Miranda |
Sr |
DS |
Alfred |
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Melanie Pershyn |
Sr |
S |
Elmira |
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Shannon McGee |
Sr |
S/OH |
Hartwick |
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Chelsea Hafner |
Sr |
OH/RS |
Houghton |
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Marissa Weil |
Sr |
OH |
Ithaca |
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Katherine Race |
So |
L/DS |
Nazareth |
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Jasmine Davis |
So |
OH |
St. John Fisher |
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Kirsten Salmins |
So |
RS/DS |
Stevens |
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Mimi O'Hara |
Sr |
L/S/DS |
Utica |