WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL SELECTED TO COMPETE IN ECAC NEW ENGLAND TOURNAMENT

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL SELECTED TO COMPETE IN ECAC NEW ENGLAND TOURNAMENT

Nov. 7, 2011

CENTERVILLE, MASS. - The Emmanuel College women's volleyball team has been selected to participate in the 2011 Eastern College Athletic Conference New England tournament beginning on Wednesday, November 9, it was announced this afternoon by the ECAC commissioner's office. The Saints were tabbed as the \#6 seed and will face off against the \#3 seed in Endicott College as this marks the second time in the last three seasons that EC has been picked to play in the tournament field.

The Saints bring an overall record of 21-15 to the tournament after finishing the regular season with a 10-3 mark in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference for a third place finish. Heading into the GNAC tourney Emmanuel was playing some of its best volleyball of the season having won 15 of 18 matches before bowing out to the eventual GNAC champions in Rivier College.

Emmanuel is led by its senior tri-captain trio of Rebecca Stanton (Quincy, Mass.), Jenna Ross (Centerburg, Ohio) and Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, Mass.). Stanton leads the GNAC with a total of 479 kills which is also a new single-season record at Emmanuel. The middle hitter ranks fifth in the nation with a .431 hitting percentage and earlier this season recorded her 1,000th career kill. Ross has been a reliable second offensive option for the Saints, ranking second on the squad with 363 kills and also made some history this year becoming Emmanuel's all-time leader in digs. The outside hitter notched her 1,000 career kill in the GNAC tournament to become the only player in the program's history to record over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Olsen has been a mainstay in the Saints lineup serving as one of team's main setters, dishing out 572 helpers on the year while also helping the squad fill a void in the rotation as a hitter, collecting 180 kills as well. The senior will finish her career ranked second all-time in assists dishing out over 2,800 helpers in her four seasons with the Saints.

Endicott enters the ECAC tournament with an overall record of 15-15, boasting a 7-1 mark in Commonwealth Coast Conference action. The Gulls were the \#2 seed in the CCC tournament and fell to Roger Williams University in the Finals, 3-1.

Appearing in their third consecutive ECAC tournament, the Gulls are led by senior co-captains Elyse Barbour (Greenville, R.I.) and Sarah Allshouse (Berthoud, Colo.). Barbour, a right-side hitter, led the squad with 243 kills while Allshouse, the team's main setter, dished out a total of 904 assists on the season.

Coast Guard Academy (23-6) earned the tournament's \#1 seed and will face off against the \#8 seed in Framingham State University (19-13). Plymouth State University (23-10) was tabbed the \#2 seed and will host the \#7 seed in Western New England University (15-14). Rounding out the tournament field was the \#4 seed in Keene State College (18-13) who will face off against the \#5 seed, Salve Regina University (16-13).

All quarterfinal matches will be played at the site of the higher seed on Wednesday, November 9 with the semifinals and finals to be played at the site of the highest remaining seed on Saturday, November 12.