FOUR SAINTS HONORED ON ALL-GNAC WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL INCLUDING COACH & ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

BOSTON, Mass. – Emmanuel College women's volleyball Head Coach Denitra Seals has been named the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year while freshman outside hitter Cassie Chruscielski (Duluth, Minn.) has been named the GNAC Rookie of the Year, it was announced by the conference office. Chruscielski was also named to the First Team while her freshman middle hitter Kaitlyn Atkinson (Brookline, N.H.) and sophomore setter Shannon Dudley (Morro Bay, Calif.) were recognized on the Second Team.  

In her seventh season at the helm of the Saints, Seals lead the unit to an overall 23-13 mark which included a 10-1 record in GNAC action. Emmanuel earned its first berth to the conference championship since 2006 and their first trip to the finals under Seals. EC made a valiant effort in the championship match against Rivier University, eventually falling 3-1. The set the Saints were able to capture was the only set that the Raiders lost all season to any GNAC opponent. The GNAC Coach of the Year will look to guide the Saints to the program's first-ever ECAC Championship as the Saints earned the No. 6 seed in this week's ECAC New England Championship. It marks the third time under Seals that Emmanuel has earned an ECAC tourney berth, appearing in both the 2011 and 2009 tournament fields.

Over her tenure with the Saints, Seals has posted an overall record of 121-109 (.526) and became just the second coach in program history to earn their 100^th career victory earlier this season.

Chruscielski becomes just the second player in program history to be tabbed the GNAC Rookie of the Year and first since Amy Milkus ('07) in 2003. Also landing on the GNAC First Team, the outside hitter compiled one of the best rookie campaigns in the program's history as she finished the season with a team-best 297 kills which ranks 11^th all-time for kills in a single-season. Her kill total ranked fourth among GNAC leaders while her 60 service aces ranked second in the conference. Chruscielski played in all 36 matches to lead the conference and appeared in 119 total sets. The Duluth, Minn. native was very consistent through her first season, posting 10 or more kills in all 13 matches to go along with 10 matches of 10 or more digs.

Atkinson joins her classmate with All-Conference Honors with a Second Team selection after an equally impressive rookie campaign. The middle hitter averaged 2.57 kills per set to lead the Saints while her 275 kills was just behind Chruscielski to rank second on the unit. Atkinson was a force at the net, registering a total of 68 blocks to lead Emmanuel while ranking sixth in the GNAC. The Brookline, N.H. native was extremely efficient with her attacking, swinging at a .273 clip which ranked sixth in the GNAC and first among Emmanuel players.

Dudley also received a Second Team All-Conference nod after a breakout sophomore campaign in which the setter has compiled 880 assists to rank second in the GNAC and second all-time among single-season leader in EC program history.  She registered double-digit assist totals in all but one match including 24 matches with 20+ assists, nine matches with 30+ assists and a career-high 49 assist night against Simmons College on Oct. 22. Dudley also has 43 aces and 272 digs to rank third on the team in both categories.

Junior Christine Durkee (Salem, Conn.) was also named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

The 2013 Saints enjoyed their highest win total since the 2004 squad posted 26 victories and will look to keep it rolling in the ECAC tournament. Ranked fifth in the 2013 GNAC Pre-Season Coaches' Poll, the young squad made their first appearance in the GNAC Championship in seven years and will look to build off the runner-up finish with not one senior on this year's roster.

Click here to view the entire 2013 GNAC Women's Volleyball All-Conference Teams