Teams: Volleyball: Press Releases

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

FIVE RECOGNIZED AS FIRST VOLLEYBALL ALL-STARS ANNOUNCED

MEDFORD -- The first wave of post-season honors for the 2005 fall sports season came in today, including for the volleyball team. The Tufts Jumbos were well represented with two players gaining regional honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and three earning New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) recognition.

Freshman setter Kaitlin O'Reilly (Manhattan Beach, CA/Marymount) was one of 12 players named to the All-New England Region team, and additionally she was named the region's Freshman of the Year. Classmate Natalie Goldstein (Piedmont, CA/Piedmont) made Honorable Mention for the New England Region.

On the All-NESCAC squads, senior co-captains Courtney Evans (Bellaire, TX/Episcopal) and April Gerry (Holmes, NY/Pawling) were voted on to the First Team by the conference's coaches. Freshman Caitlin Dealy (Santa Barbara, CA/Santa Barbara) was placed on the Second Team.

In first year leading one of New England's top teams offensively, O'Reilly is atop NESCAC setters in assists with 1,282 this season, averaging 11.76 per game. In addition to this, she has 21 service aces, tied for fourth on the team, and 296 digs (2.72 per game), sixth on the Jumbos.

Goldstein has been an excellent addition to the Tufts defense. She leads the team and ranks third in NESCAC with 5.14 digs per game, totaling 540 digs overall. Her 26 service aces are tied for second on the squad. She has made just 72 receiving errors in 105 games.

Evans and Gerry were leaders on and off the court all season. Gerry has played in 111 and Evans 108 of the team's 113 total games played. A Second Team pick last year, Evans is on the All-NESCAC list for the second straight season. Gerry earned the honor for the first time.

Through last week, Evans was second in NESCAC with 1.14 blocks per game, a total of 123. Her 38 service aces (0.35 per game) are far and away the team high and she has topped 200 kills for the season.

Gerry has been one of NESCAC's most efficient hitters, ranking eighth in the league currently with a .269 percentage. Also a 200-kill recorder, Gerry was a key for the Jumbos on the other side of the net with 0.66 blocks per game.

Dealy is one of the team's top all-around performers. She ranks in the league top 20 with 2.51 kills per game and in digs with 3.47 per game. Her 26 service aces are also among the best on the Jumbos.

Tufts, 27-6 overall and ranked #2 in New England, makes its second NCAA Tournament appearance on Thursday with a first-round match against Emmanuel College. Colby College, which defeated the Jumbos 3-0 for the conference championship, is the regional host. Coach Cora Thompson's Jumbos finished the NESCAC regular-season second with a 9-1 mark.

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