HADLEY, Mass. – Bowdoin senior Cori Gray is the NESCAC Player of the Year as voted by the league's coaches. Gray is the fourth Polar Bear to be named NESCAC Player of the Year and third since 2015 (Kristin Hanczor – 2011, Christy Jewett – 2015, Caroline Flaherty – 2018).
A middle blocker, Gray leads the NESCAC in blocks with 84 (0.99 per set) and ranks among the conference leaders in hitting percentage (3rd/.344), points per set (3rd/3.94), kills (6th/234), and kills per set (10th/2.75). Gray was also named to the All-NESCAC First Team after earning Second Team honors in 2018 and 2019. She posted 11 blocks to lead Bowdoin to its fourth NESCAC title with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Wesleyan in the championship match. Bowdoin received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will travel to MIT for regional play.
Wesleyan senior Jenna Otaola was voted as the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year and is the third Cardinal to garner the honor since 2000 (Ruby Hernandez - 2009 & 2010, Phia Bellizzi - 2019). The league leader in digs per set (5.22) and team leader in service aces (20), Otaola helped Wesleyan earn the No. 2 seed in the NESCAC Championship and reach the final for the third time in program history. She also represented the NCAA-bound Cardinals on the All-NESCAC First Team.
Middlebury first-year Gabbie O'Toole was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-NESCAC Second Team. She is the fourth Panther to be selected for the honor (Jane Handel – 2008, Megan Jarchow – 2010, Becca Raffel – 2014). A setter, O'Toole ranks second among the NESCAC leaders in assists per set (9.60), dishing out 816 this season, while also recording 189 digs and 22 service aces. She helped the Panthers earn the No. 4 seed in the NESCAC Championship and set a program record for consecutive wins to start the season (14-0). The Panthers earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Championship and will travel to Stevens and face the Ducks in the first round.
Bowdoin head coach Erin Cady was selected as the NESCAC Coach of the Year by her peers. Cady earns the honor for the second time (2018) and is the only Bowdoin coach to garner the honor in the award's history. Cady has directed Bowdoin to three of its four NESCAC titles since arriving on campus in 2015.
2021 NESCAC Volleyball Awards
Player of the Year: Cori Gray, Bowdoin
Defensive Player of the Year: Jenna Otaola, Wesleyan
Rookie of the Year: Gabbie O'Toole, Middlebury
Coach of the Year: Erin Cady, Bowdoin
First Team All-NESCAC
| Pos |
Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown |
Previous Honors |
| OH |
Jamie Dailey |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Newport Beach, Calif. |
|
| OH |
Cate Desler |
Tufts |
Sr. |
Hillsborough, Calif. |
2019 Second Team; 2018 Rookie of the Year; 2018 Second Team |
| MB |
Cori Gray |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Winter Park, Fla. |
2019 Second Team |
| MH |
Sophie Launsbach |
Amherst |
Sr. |
Los Angeles, Calif. |
2019 Second Team |
| L |
Jenna Otaola |
Wesleyan |
Sr. |
San Diego, Calif. |
|
| OH |
Sophia Pahl |
Bowdoin |
Sr. |
Cedarburg, Wis. |
|
| OH |
Maggie Wise |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
Winchester, Va. |
2019 Second Team |
Second Team All-NESCAC
| Pos |
Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown |
Previous Honors |
| MH |
Corley Doyle |
Middlebury |
Sr. |
San Francisco, Calif. |
|
| DS |
Kelly Ferrero |
Middlebury |
So. |
San Francisco, Calif. |
|
| S |
Ella Haugen |
Bowdoin |
Jr. |
Minneapolis, Minn. |
|
| MH |
Marit Hoyem |
Williams |
So. |
Menlo Park, Calif. |
|
| MB |
Brina Kuslak |
Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Lindale, Texas |
|
| S |
Gabbie O'Toole |
Middlebury |
Fy. |
Overland Park, Kan. |
|
| MB |
Mariko Tanaka |
Wesleyan |
So. |
San Francisco, Calif. |
|
