2009 NECVA All-Conference Teams Announced, Kolek Selected Coach of the Year

The 2009 North East Collegiate Volleyball Association All Conference Teams were announced with five Raiders receiving honors.  Voting for the All Conference Teams were done by the 42 eligible coaching staffs among the NECVA’s five divisions which includes over 450 players.

Rivier College head coach Craig Kolek was named the 2009 NECVA Coach of the Year—the fourth time in the last six seasons that he has been elected by his peers as the league’s top coach. He previously earned the award in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Behind his leadership, Rivier won 30 consecutive matches, was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation, was voted the #1 team in the NECVA Poll in each of the final seven weeks of the regular season, and earned the No. 1 seed in the NECVA Tournament.

Rivier junior middle hitter Matt Ferreira (Lincoln, RI) was named First-Team All-Conference for the second year in a row..  Ferreira, the GNAC Division Player of the Year, was ranked fourth overall with a .426 hitting percentage.

Rivier junior setter Zach Hansen (Shelton, CT) earned First-Team All-NECVA honors at setter with 13.00 assists per set—second in the league.  Hansen also directed the Raiders offense to a .332 hitting percentage - once again second best in the conference.

Rivier College sophomore Jared Andreozzi (Barrington, RI) earned Second-Team All-NECVA honors as an outside hitter while Raiders junior Kyle O’Neill (Long Beach, NY) earned Second-Team honors at libero.  Andreozzi's 3.60 kills/set and O'Neill's 2.41 dig/set were both personal highs in a season.

The 16-player All-Conference team was selected from the First-Team selections in the NECVA’s five divisions—CUNYAC, GNAC, Metro, New England and Western.

2009 NECVA ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Andrew Cranford (Stevens Institute of Technology)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Billy Gimello (Nazareth College)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Craig Kolek (Rivier College)

FIRST-TEAM
Justin Brubaker - Philadelphia Biblical University 
Billy Gimello - Nazareth College 
Phil Tully - Vassar College 
Andrew Cranford - Stevens Institute of Technology 
Matt Ferreira - Rivier College 
Zack Hansen - Rivier College 
Chris DeHority - Nazareth College 

SECOND-TEAM
Alberto Bravo - Elms College 
Jared Andreozzi - Rivier College 
Sequiel Sanchez Velez - Elms College 
Joe Trinsey - Stevens Institute of Technology 
Shane Donohue - Ramapo College 
Mark Thomas - Newbury College 
A.J. Witkofsky - Endicott College 
Frank Leahy - Nazareth College 
Kyle O’Neill - Rivier College

Courtesy: Rivier Athletic Communications