FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of JWU Athletics Communications
LEXINGTON, Ky. – After dominating the postseason conference awards, the Johnson & Wales University women's volleyball team was well represented on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-New England Region teams. The Wildcats had four players recognized by the AVCA, including New England Player of the Year Kate Walker.
Joining Walker on the AVCA All-Region team was setter Brylee Frank, outside hitter Maria Coniglio and libero Elysa Nicolas. Frank and Coniglio earned their fourth all-region award while Walker collected her third and Nicolas nabbed her second.
The program's all-time leader in hitting percentage, Walker leads the NCAA with a .443 hitting percentage. Named GNAC Player of the Year earlier in the week, she was a three-time GNAC Player of the Week recipient. This season the Oakland, Calif. native is averaging a career-high 3.22 kills per set while notching 0.82 blocks per set. Against Suffolk she became the sixth player in program history to amass 1,000 career kills while breaking the JWU record with 228 blocking assists.
Last year's GNAC Player of the Year, Frank runs a JWU offense that is fourth in the NCAA with a .270 hitting percentage to go along with 13.17 kills per set, which rates 27th. A native of Palm City, Fla., Frank is producing 9.96 assists per set, which rates her 29th. Twice named GNAC Player of the Week, she is the JWU all-time leader at 10.45 aps and second at 4,357 assists.
One of the best outside hitters in school history, Coniglio is averaging 3.36 kps to move her up to second all-time at 3.22 kps. The fifth player in school history to eclipse 1,000 kills, she ranks third in JWU lore with 1,278 kills and fourth with 1,490 points. Named GNAC Player of the Week on September 16, Coniglio has 12 double-doubles this year. The Old Bethpage, N.Y., native joins Annemarie Proto and Ashley Constantino as the only JWU players with 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.
The three-time GNAC Libero of the Year, Nicolas is producing 4.72 digs per set. Twice this year she's recorded a season-high 29 digs to help move her up to sixth in JWU history at 1,411 digs. The San Francisco native is second all-time with 4.61 digs per set. Five times this year Nicholas has been named GNAC Libero of the Week.
Johnson & Wales opens the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday when it takes on Maine Maritime at 12:30 PM. Tufts University is hosting the Medford, Mass. Regional.