SEC post season awards

[Razorback]

www.secsports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=18&url_article_id=8023&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Ole Miss Head Coach Joe Getzin, Florida junior setter Angie McGinnis, Florida freshman libero Elyse Cusack, Kentucky freshman setter Sarah Rumely and Auburn junior outside hitter Rachel Shanks highlight the 2006 Southeastern Conference Volleyball Awards, announced Tuesday.

Getzin was named SEC Coach of the Year, while Shanks was named Scholar Athlete of the Year. McGinnis was named Player of the Year and gathered First-Team All-SEC honors, while Cusack was named Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-Freshman Team. Rumely received Freshman of the Year honors, along with All-Freshman Team honors.

Getzin receives his first Coach of the Year award, and becomes the first Ole Miss Coach to receive the honor. Getzin led the Rebels to a 19-12 overall record and a 10-10 mark in conference play, as Ole Miss posted its first winning season since 1996. The 10 SEC wins ties the school record for conference wins set in 1979 and is the first time Ole Miss has reached the 10 win mark in the 25 seasons since. Capping of the season of firsts, Getzin led Ole Miss to its first-ever NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament appearance.

Shanks was named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year for her performance on and off the court. Shanks, a major in Biomedical Science at Auburn, boasts a 4.0 gradepoint average. She has earned Dean’s List honors at Auburn.

McGinnis was named SEC Player of the Year, following a stellar junior campaign. McGinnis recorded two triple doubles this season. She ranked second in assists per game in the conference, averaging 13.40. She also led all SEC setters in kills per game, hitting percentage and blocks, and was the only setter ranked in the top-10 among all players in hitting percentage.

Cusack received Defensive Player of the Year honors following her first year at Florida. As a freshman, Cusack led the conference in digs per game, averaging 5.57 in conference play. Cusack broke a school record with 46 digs at LSU, which tied for the sixth most digs in NCAA history in a four-game match. She also shattered the school record for digs per game in a season, averaging 5.55 in all matches, which was nearly a full dig per game more than the next-best player in the SEC.

Rumely was named Freshman of the Year. The Kentucky freshman ranked third in the conference in assists per game, averaging 12.17 in conference play. She had a career-high 70 assists against San Diego State. Rumely tallied five double-doubles for Kentucky and her 49 aces rank seventh at UK on the single-season chart.

First Team All-SEC
Crystal Hudson, Alabama
Amber McCray, Florida
Angie McGinnis, Florida
Daniela Romero, LSU
Marina Skender, LSU
Shonda Cole, South Carolina
Sarah Blum, Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC
Bridget Fuentez, Alabama
Denitza Koleva, Arkansas
Kelsey Bowers, Florida
Marcie Hampton, Florida
Queen Nzenwa, Kentucky
Nicole Britenriker, Kentucky
Jaclyn Toohey, Ole Miss
Yuliya Stoyanova, Tennessee

All-Freshman Team
Destiny Clark, Arkansas
Elyse Cusack, Florida
Kristina Johnson, Florida
Sarah Rumely, Kentucky
Lauren DeGirolamo, LSU
Martina Gregusova, Miss. State
Leah Hinkey, Tennessee

[Gatorboy]

Congrats to all the players, and esp. McGinnis! She did an outstanding job this year, and hopefully will lead UF deep into the tournament.

One thing, I must say that I really admire Kisya Killingsworth taking on a role this year to help out her own team, instead of seeking personal glory at a position that may have been better suited to her talents. Way to go Kisya!

[vbobsessed]

I am no expert on the SEC, but from just reading the official release, Cusack should have been the FOY. I know the Gator fans are going to be all PC, but I'll say it: Cusack was robbed.

[GatorVball]

I'm ok with Cusack being Defensive Player of the Year instead of frosh. She was gonna win one, but not both. What I'm not ok with is not a single libero on either 1st or 2nd team. That bothers me immensely. I had a sneaking suspicion that Angie would be SEC Player of the Year. I figured someone from Florida would win, and she was the only one with the all around numbers to do so. Amber, who this year has become of the best right sides in the country, would've been the only other choice. I will say at least the coaches didn't take the easy way out, 7 on the 1st team and 8 on the 2nd team, they at least had some balls to leave people off, unlike some other conferences.

[vbobsessed]

As usual, good insight to another conference by someone who knows it way better than I. Thanks GatorVball

[Gatorboy]

gatorvball said:

I will say at least the coaches didn't take the easy way out, 7 on the 1st team and 8 on the 2nd team, they at least had some balls to leave people off, unlike some other conferences.

Word to that.

[foreignball]

gatorvball said:

..... Amber, who this year has become of the best right sides in the country.....

I think you have her position wrong - according to the article Amber McCray is UF setter (look at the picture) ;D

[GatorVball]

foreignball said:

gatorvball said:

..... Amber, who this year has become of the best right sides in the country.....

I think you have her position wrong - according to the article Amber McCray is UF setter (look at the picture) ;D

what can I say, she does it all. Wow, I didn't even catch that the first time around. How could they make that mistake?

[foreignball]

Media people are notorious for messing up people/places names that start/end with the same letter(s)…in this case we got 2 A’s and 2 Mc’s

[Chance]

Uh.... What the hell? How can there be no liberos? More specifically, how can Elyse Cusack, the DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, not be a first teamer, or a second teamer at the very least? I don't care if they did put her on the all freshman team, that's just a joke.

gatorvball said:

I will say at least the coaches didn't take the easy way out, 7 on the 1st team and 8 on the 2nd team, they at least had some balls to leave people off, unlike some other conferences.

/sign

[Gatorboy]

Thanks for the props to Elyse, Chance.

Cusack needs to be on one of the three All American teams this year. And NOT HM AA, because that's just like pre-school t-ball awards where everyone wins. Blah to that.

[Chance]

specific props for cusack aside, allthough i do give her those, you would thing just on principle the DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR would be a first teamer, or at the very least a 2nd teamer...

[GatorVball]

chance said:

specific props for cusack aside, allthough i do give her those, you would thing just on principle the DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR would be a first teamer, or at the very least a 2nd teamer...

you would think, but last year, Jenni Casper got it and was left off 1st and 2nd team all conference. Though the first year they had it, 2004, Amy Morris got it and was 1st team all conference, so it's not like they won't do it. Not having a libero on either team is a joke.

[GatorVball]

They just interviewed Mary at halftime of the basketball game. I didn't realize Angie is the first setter to ever win SEC Player of the Year.

[Phaedrus]

SEC Coach of the year.

I have seen Joe EVERYWHERE I went for volleyball, he's at qualifiers, he was at our regionals, he was at our season opening tournament. The man works his gluteus off. Good to see his work pay off isn a great season and an NCAA berth. Good guys don't always finish last.