N.H. Volleyball Coaches Honor KSC's O'Bryant

KEENE, N.H. 11/26/07 - Four different New Hampshire NCAA Division III institutions were represented on the 2007 All-Granite State NCAA Division III Volleyball Team. In addition to the All-Granite State Team, five major individual award winners were also selected.  Keene State College junior Brittany O'Bryant was named All-Granite State Player of the Year, Colby-Sawyer College freshman Michelle Doody was named All-Granite State Rookie of the Year, Rivier College senior Lindsay Marshall was named All-Granite State Libero of the Year, Plymouth State University senior Kirsten Willoughby was named All-Granite State Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year and Rivier College coach Craig Kolek was named All-Granite State Coach of the Year.                    

Voting for the All-Granite State team and each of the major awards was conducted among the New Hampshire DIII volleyball head coaches.

       
Joining O'Bryant, Doody and Marshall on the First Team were sophomore Eliza Badeau (Plymouth), senior Kori Chace (Rivier), and junior Taylor Forsberg (Colby-Sawyer).

       
Second team selections included junior Nicole Hersey (Rivier), sophomore Genny Moore (Colby-Sawyer), sophomore Carly Newton (Keene), junior Kristen Romanko (Colby-Sawyer), Jordan Pokryfki (Keene) and Kelly Yankowski (Keene).

               
O'Bryant, a junior middle hitter from Merrimack, N.H., enjoyed a strong season on both sides of the net for Keene State, which posted a record of 25-11and earned their second consecutive Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) post-season bid where they advance to the New England Championship semi-finals. O'Bryant hit a stunning .319 on the season, averaged 3.91 kills per game and chipped in 93 blocks, to lead the team in all three categories. O'Bryant also tallied a team-high 477 kills on the season and broke the school record for kills in a career.

       
Doody, a product of Franklin, Mass, has been a welcome addition to an already strong Colby-Sawyer lineup that finished 28-8 and ECAC runners-up. The outside hitter led the Chargers with 3.10 kills per game while also sporting a team-high .255 attack percentage. Doody broke the record for kills in a season by a freshman as she tallied 403 kills and added 340 digs to become only the second player in Colby-Sawyer volleyball history to have a 400-kill, 300-dig season.

       
Marshall, a native of Tiverton, R.I., has been an excellent performer and leader for Rivier College, helping the Raiders to a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship and a trip to the NCAA DIII National Championship Tournament this year.  Marshall averaged 6.03 digs per game to lead the GNAC in digs, and chipped in 70 aces on the season. Marshall set the single-season digs record at Rivier with 736 digs and became the first player in school history to total over 2,000 digs in her career.

       
Willoughby, a senior psychology major with an emphasis in mental health from Plymouth, N.H. has enjoyed an excellent career both in and out of the classroom.  On the court, the opposite had 183 kills on the season for a 1.65 kills per game average and also tallied 43 blocks on the season while helping Plymouth State to an ECAC bid and a 20-12 record.  Willoughby, who currently sports a 3.30 GPA and will be completing her degree this spring, is also minoring in health and child welfare & family studies.

       
In his eighth season at Rivier, Kolek piloted the Raiders to a 25-12 overall record, and led the Raiders to their second GNAC Championship. Kolek helped the Raiders, the No. 2 seed in the GNAC Tournament, upset the top seed Johnson & Wales to earn the program's second trip to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.

2007 ALL-GRANITE STATE VOLLEYBALL TEAM

FIRST TEAM

OH - Eliza Badeau, Plymouth, Sophomore

OH - Michelle Doody, Colby-Sawyer, Freshman

OPP - Kori Chace, Rivier, Senior

L/DS - Taylor Forsberg, Colby-Sawyer, Junior

L/DS - Lindsay Marshall, Rivier, Senior

MB - Brittany O'Bryant, Keene, Junior

SECOND TEAM

OH - Nicole Hersey, Rivier, Junior

S - Genny Moore, Colby-Sawyer, Sophomore

MB/OH - Carly Newton, Keene, Sophomore

MB - Kristen Romanko, Colby-Sawyer, Junior

S - Jordan Pokryfki, Keene, Sophomore

OH - Kelly Yankowski, Keene, Senior

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Brittany O'Bryant, Keene

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Michelle Doody, Colby-Sawyer

LIBERO OF THE YEAR - Lindsay Marshall, Rivier

SENIOR SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Kirsten Willoughby, Plymouth

COACH OF THE YEAR - Craig Kolek, Rivier