NEWVA Announces All-New England Teams
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2009
BRISTOL, R.I.- The New England Women’s Volleyball Association announced today the 2009 NEWVA All-New England Teams, comprised of the top Division III women’s volleyball players in the region.
Tufts University senior Dena Feiger (Long Grove, Ill.) received the top honor, earning 2009 NEWVA Player of the Year. The 5-6 setter has guided Tufts into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament averaging over 11 assists per set. She was also recently named to the AVCA All-New England Region Team and was named New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year.
Players from 13 different institutions earned a spot on the prestigious teams. Joining Feiger on the NEWVA All-New England First Team are Williams College teammates Kate Anderson (Berlin, Mass.) and Nicole Ballon-Landa (La Jolla, Calif.). In addition, Plymouth State’s Eliza Badeau (Foster, R.I.), Springfield’s Heather Lively (Royalston, Mass.), MIT’s Alex May (Des Moines, Iowa) and UMass-Boston’s Kate McWhorter (Bakersfield, Calif.) all earned a position on the first team.
The complete rosters of the first, second and honorable mention teams are listed below, as well as the 2009 NEWVA Rookie of the Year. That honor was awarded to Shannon Thompson (Moorpark, Calif.) from UMass-Boston. Thompson averaged 3.44 kills per set along with a .338 hitting percentage in her freshman year. She chipped in 2.54 digs per set and was recently named to the AVCA All-New England Region Team and was named Little East Conference (LEC) Rookie of the Year.
NEWVA also announced UMass-Boston’s Terry Condon as its Coach of the Year. Condon led the Beacons to their first ever LEC Championship this season, earning the program’s first-ever berth into the NCAA Tournament. In just five years, she has become the program’s all-time winningest coach, including 30 wins this season. She was also recently named AVCA All-New England Coach of the Year.
Award winners were selected by a vote of all participating member head coaches following the nomination process.
Established nearly 25 years ago, the New England Women’s Volleyball Association is open to all collegiate institutions in New England sponsoring Division III women’s volleyball. Membership has grown to more than 60 members in 2009, representing eight conferences. For all of the latest news and information surrounding New England Division III volleyball, visit the official NEWVA website, www.newvad3.com.
Listed below are the 2009 NEWVA All-New England Teams.
2009 NEWVA ALL NE Teams
(players listed alphabetically)
1st Team
| Kate Anderson | Williams | Berlin, MA |
| Eliza Badeau | Plymouth St. | Foster, RI |
| Nicole Ballon-Landa | Williams | La Jolla, CA |
| Dena Feiger | Tufts | Long Grove, IL |
| Heather Lively | Springfield | Royalston, MA |
| Alex May | MIT | Des Moines, IA |
| Kate McWhorter | UMass – Boston | Bakersfield, CA |
2nd Team
| Emily Avis | Williams | Palo Alto, CA |
| Barden Cleeland | MIT | Irvine, CA |
| Alice Cummings | Wellesley | Tallahassee, FL |
| Jane Handel | Middlebury | Evanston, IL |
| Dawson Joyce-Mendive | Tufts | Minden, NV |
| Amy Newman | Conn. College | Los Angeles, CA |
| Caitlin Updike | Tufts | Manhattan Beach, CA |
Honorable Mention
| Catherine Bravo | Johnson & Wales | Toa Boya, Puerto Rico |
| Marissa DeMais | Conn. College | Hillsdale, NJ |
| Cassy Hanneman | UMass – Boston | Denver, CO |
| Ruby Hernandez | Wesleyan | West Palm Beach, FL |
| Becca Stein | Western Ct. State | Kingston, NY |
| Shannon Thompson | UMass – Boston | Moorpark, CA |
| Lauren Zaniboni | Emerson | San Diego, CA |
Player of the Year – Dena Feiger Tufts Long Grove, IL
Rookie of the Year – Shannon Thompson UMass - Boston Moorpark, CA
Coach of the Year - Terry Condon UMass – Boston