FOUR SAINTS NAMED TO MEN'S VOLLEYBALL ALL-GNAC TEAMS
April 18, 2012
Following the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament last weekend, the conference released its 2012 All-Conference Teams, featuring the league’s top players as voted upon by the GNAC head coaches. The conference recognized eighteen players with six players named 1st, 2nd and 3rd Team All-GNAC. Four Emmanuel student-athletes, including Nick Updike, Ashanti Jackson (Sacramento, Calif.), Tom McCaffrey (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Zach Whitermore (Whitehall, Pa.), received All-Conference honors.
The Saints, who opened the season ranked among the nation’s top 15 teams, finished the season at 17-12 overall. After rolling to a 12-2 record in conference matches, Emmanuel contended for a GNAC Championship, falling to Rivier College in the GNAC Finals for the fourth time in the past five years. The quartet of Updike, Jackson, McCaffrey and Whitermore were impressive all season and all four players finished the season ranked among the nation’s leaders in various statistical categories.
Updike, a three-year starting setter for the Saints, landed a spot on the 1st Team All-GNAC for the second-straight season. The junior captain is Emmanuel’s top play-maker and server. He picked up several awards during the 2012 campaign, including being named to both the MIT Invitational and Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Tournament Teams. Updike led the Saints in both assists and service aces this year. He finished the season ranked 4th in the GNAC and 24th in assists, averaging 8.62 per set. Updike also ranked 3rd in the conference and 14th nationally in aces, serving off 0.45 per set.
Joining Updike on the All-GNAC 1st Team is freshman sensation Ashanti Jackson. The outside hitter used his incredible vertical leap to notch a team-high 290 kills as a rookie, averaging 3.30 winners per set. Jackson’s kill average ranked him 4th in the conference and 22nd nationally. The four-time GNAC Rookie of the Week hit .270 for the year, ranking him 6th among the GNAC leaders in hitting percentage.
Tom McCaffrey earned a spot on the All-GNAC 2nd Team. The senior middle is a three-time All-Conference selection, as he was named to the 2nd Team as a junior and the 3rd Team as a sophomore. McCaffrey, who owns several of Emmanuel’s blocking records, was the Saints’ leader in blocks again this year with 84 in 2012 (18 solo and 66 assisted). One of the team's tri-captains, McCaffrey finished the season ranked 3rd in the conference and 23rd nationally in blocks per set (0.91). He was also the Saints most consistent hitter, leading the squad with a hitting percentage of .366 for the year.
Freshman outside hitter Zach Whitermore also received a 2nd Team All-GNAC nod. The freshmen duo of Jackson and Whitermore combined for over 500 kills this season, with Whitermore recording 217 of them. As Emmanuel’s 2nd leader in kills, Whitermore ranked 11th in the GNAC with 2.44 kills per set, hitting .262 for the year. The rookie was also one of the Saints’ top servers and finished the season ranked 4th in the GNAC and 29th nationally in aces with 0.38 per set.
In addition to Emmanuel’s four All-Conference honorees, senior middle Alexander Petty (Wayland, Mass.) was named to the GNAC’s All-Sportsmanship Team. The Sportsmanship Squad is comprised of student-athletes representing each GNAC institution, who have displayed tremendous sportsmanship throughout the season.
GNAC 1st Team All-Conference
Chris Markuson - Rivier Freshman Cupertion, CA
Aaron Almario - Rivier Sophomore Alhambra, CA
Ashanti Jackson - Emmanuel Freshman Sacramento, CA
Nick Updike - Emmanuel Junior
Steve Visentin - Rivier Junior Cheshire, CT
Chris Convertito - Rivier Senior Trumbull, CT
GNAC 2nd Team All-Conference
Brendan Charamut - Albertus Magnus Sophomore Southington, CT
Shawn Kennedy - Johnson & Wales Sophomore W. Barnstable, MA
Tom McCaffrey - Emmanuel Senior Massapequa, NY
Ross Burdett - Wentworth Sophomore Needham, MA
Zach Whitermore - Emmanuel Freshman Whitehall, PA
Dan Struebing - Johnson & Wales Sophomore Coventry, RI
GNAC 3rd Team All-Conference
Spencer Hastings - Mount Ida Junior Orlando, FL
Chris Espinola - Johnson & Wales Sophomore Derry, NH
Andrew Corwin - Rivier Senior Framingham, MA
Alex Xenidis - Rivier Senior Shelton, CT
Alex Mill - Lasell Junior Danville, NH
Carlos Torres - Albertus Magnus Sophomore Adjuntas, PR
PLAYER OF THE YEAR Chris Markuson - Rivier
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Chris Convertito - Rivier
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Chris Markuson - Rivier
COACH OF THE YEAR Omar Ramirez - Albertus Magnus
GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team
Glenn Johnson - Albertus Magnus
Eric Doherty - Emerson
Alexander Petty - Emmanuel
Dan Struebing - Johnson & Wales
Alex Mill - Lasell
Steve Morriseau - Mount Ida
Dan Elitharp - Rivier
Tyler Moriarty - Wentworth