Volleyball All-Conference Selections Released
Handel, Jarchow of Middlebury Named Player, Rookie of the Year
HADLEY, Mass. – Middlebury junior outside hitter Jane Handel (Evanston, Ill.) has been chosen by the conference coaches as NESCAC Player of the Year, while first year teammate Megan Jarchow (Cos Cob, Conn.) received NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Handel is the second player from Middlebury to earn top honors as she joins 2000 winner Leslie Edwards, while Jarchow became the third Panther in as many years to take the conference’s rookie award. The duo helped the Panthers win the 2010 NESCAC Volleyball Championship this past weekend at Amherst, the program’s first conference crown since back-to-back titles in 1997-98.
A solid all-around performer for the Panthers, Handel ranks in the top 10 in the league in both kills and digs, averaging 3.07 kills (7th NESCAC) and 3.83 digs (9th) per set while hitting at a .239 clip. She has also contributed 30 blocks, 36 aces, and holds a .926 receiving percentage so far this season. After opening the 2010 campaign with All-Tournament Team honors at the Endicott Invitational, Handel has helped her Middlebury squad match its best performance in a decade as they went 8-2 in conference play and have accumulated 24 wins heading into this weekend’s NCAA Tournament action. The 2008 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, Handel added All-NESCAC honors to her resume for the third consecutive season with a second-straight appointment to the First Team.
Jarchow has posted an even 3.00 kills per set with a .219 hitting percentage as a first year outside hitter for the Panthers. On defense, Jarchow has averaged 1.71 digs per set, blocked 29 attempts, and owns a receiving percentage of .933.
Lauren Barrett (Medfield, Mass.) joined Handel from Middlebury on the All-NESCAC First Team. A Second Team selection last fall, the senior is second among conference setters with 10.93 assists per set. She has also collected 2.53 digs per set so far this season. Barrett was named Most Valuable Player of the Gold Bracket at the Hall of Fame Invitational on Oct. 22-23.
Seniors Kate Anderson (Berlin, Mass.) and Nicole Ballon-Landa (La Jolla, Calif.) capped their stellar careers at Williams by being named to the All-NESCAC First Team for the third year in a row. Anderson, an outside hitter, finished third in the NESCAC in kills with a team-high 3.70 per set. Ballon-Landa, a middle blocker, was once again among the league’s best in hitting percentage with a career-high .346 percentage (3rd NESCAC) and 2.32 kills per set. The 2007 NESCAC Rookie of the Year and a four-time All-NESCAC honoree, Ballon-Landa appeared in all but six of the Ephs’ sets during her tenure, as she has played in every set for Williams over the past three seasons.
Outside hitters Caitlin Updike (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) of Tufts and Amy Newman (Los Angeles, Calif.) of Connecticut College rounded out the returners from last year’s All-NESCAC First Team, as five of the seven-member squad were honored on the 2009 edition. Newman ended the season atop the conference in kills with an impressive 5.17 per set. She also ranked fifth among all players in hitting percentage, posting a mark of .296 during her junior season with the Camels. Updike is right behind Newman in kills, ranking second overall at 4.03 per set. The senior also owns a hitting percentage of .253 (12th NESCAC). Updike was named Most Valuable Player at the MIT Invitational back on Sept. 25 and also earned two All-Tournament Team nods this season. She helped the Jumbos achieve their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
Amherst senior middle hitter Laura Hyman (Glencoe, Ill.) completes the 2010 NESCAC All-Conference First Team. Hyman, who garnered All-NESCAC recognition for the first time in her career, leads the league in blocks per set at 1.01 and is second in hitting percentage at .351.
Wesleyan senior libero Ruby Hernandez (West Palm Beach, Fla.) repeated as the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year. Fourth among league players in digs with 4.96 per set, Hernandez wrapped up a prolific playing career with the Cardinals this season. She walks away with every program record in digs, as she amassed 1,933 during her time in Middletown. A First Team member in 2009, Hernandez was also honored on the 2010 All-NESCAC Second Team.
Sarah Raunecker of Middlebury was selected by her peers as the NESCAC Coach of the Year. A 1992 graduate of the college, Raunecker has been involved in the Panthers’ program since its inception, serving as an assistant coach in its first season before heading up the team over the last 16 years. Raunecker’s squad won its third NESCAC title this past weekend, and three more victories this coming weekend in the NCAA Tournament will add distinctions such as most wins in a single season, match the program record for longest winning streak, and a first-ever trip to the national quarterfinals to this year’s accomplishments. Raunecker last received Coach of the Year in 2000.
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2010 NESCAC Volleyball All-Conference
|
| First Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
Pos |
Hometown |
| Kate Anderson |
Williams |
Sr. |
OH |
Berlin, Mass. |
| Nicole Ballon-Landa |
Williams |
Sr. |
MB |
La Jolla, Calif. |
Lauren Barrett
|
Middlebury |
Sr. |
S |
Medford, Mass.
|
Jane Handel
|
Middlebury |
Jr. |
OH |
Evanston, Ill.
|
Laura Hyman
|
Amherst |
Sr. |
MH |
Glencoe, Ill.
|
Amy Newman
|
Connecticut College |
Jr. |
OH |
Los Angeles, Calif.
|
| Caitlin Updike |
Tufts |
Sr. |
OH |
Manhattan Beach, Calif. |
| |
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| Second Team |
Institution |
Yr. |
Pos |
Hometown |
| Emily Avis |
Williams |
Sr. |
S |
Palo Alto, Calif. |
| Marissa DeMais |
Connecticut College |
Sr. |
S |
Hillsdale, N.J. |
Julia Gibbs
|
Middlebury |
So. |
RH |
Houston, Texas
|
Kristin Hanczor
|
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
MB |
Redding, Conn.
|
Ruby Hernandez
|
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
L |
West Palm Beach, Fla.
|
Audrey Kuan
|
Tufts |
Jr. |
L |
Los Altos, Calif.
|
Kendall Lord
|
Tufts |
So. |
S |
La Jolla, Calif.
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| Player of the Year |
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Jane Handel
|
Middlebury |
Jr. |
OH |
Evanston, Ill.
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| Defensive Player of the Year |
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Ruby Hernandez
|
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
L |
West Palm Beach, Fla.
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| Rookie of the Year |
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Megan Jarchow
|
Middlebury |
Fy. |
OH |
Cos Cob, Conn.
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| Coach of the Year |
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Sarah Raunecker
|
Middlebury |
