Teams: Volleyball: Press Releases

Thursday, November 14, 2002
Written by Ayako Sawanobori

AMY CRONIN SELECTED ALL-NESCAC FIRST TEAM IN VOLLEYBALL

MEDFORD -- After the completion of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Volleyball Tournament recently, Tufts University junior middle hitter Amy Cronin (Kirkland, WA/Interlake) was selected to the All-Conference First Team. She is one of six First Team picks.

Cronin, a 6-foot middle hitter and blocker, helped lead the Jumbos to a final record of 20-13 (6-4 in NESCAC). In 33 matches, 115 games, Cronin placed fifth in NESCAC with 3.62 kills per match and seventh with 1.06 blocks per game. In 10 NESCAC matches, Cronin had the team high with 129 kills and an outstanding 36.9 hitting percentage along with 21 aces and 25 blocks.

She was named NESCAC Player of the Week in late October. At a NESCAC weekend playing Colby, Bowdoin and Bates, she posted a 39.5 hitting percentage and a team-high 39 kills. She had 12 kills, five aces and six blocks as Tufts beat host and second place Colby College in three straight. The team leader in service aces with 53, she had six in an early NESCAC match against Trinity. Her blocking improved as the season wore on, including six solos in a non-conference meeting with Bowdoin in the Hall of Fame Tournament on October 25. In her final game of the season, which the Jumbos lost 3-1 against Amherst College in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament, she had 16 kills and 22 digs.

Cronin finished off her junior season with 416 kills, a 28.9 hitting percentage, 53 aces, 250 digs, and 47 solo blocks and 75 block assists. Emerging as a leader for the Tufts squad, her numbers dwarfed last year's totals of 274 kills and 156 digs.

"A huge part of the game, and ours in particular, is our blocking, and Amy had a great season at the net," Head Coach Cora Thompson said. "She was also a primary passer for us this year. She is just one of those players who can step up and change the momentum of the game, picking our team right up with her play. She was also a tremendous part of our offense putting away 400 balls this season. She worked really hard, and she and Lindsey (Moses, a junior setter) did a much better job of connecting this year. Amy consistently dominated many aspects of the game."

The major award winners in NESCAC include Joyia Chadwick of Williams, NESCAC Player of the Year, and Caitlin Cleaver of Colby who was selected NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Freshman Jamie Wong of Middlebury got Defensive Player of the Year while Colby's Candice Parents was named Coach of the Year.

#

2002 All-NESCAC Volleyball Teams