2010-11 AUS major awards and all-stars announced

HALIFAX, N.S. - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2010-11 AUS women's volleyball all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's eight head coaches following regular season play. Fourth-year Saint Mary's left side Kerri Smit was named the Atlantic University Sport most valuable player, Thursday night. Other AUS major award winners announced during the awards banquet in Sydney, N.S., were StFX's Jessica Roberts of Calgary, Alta., who was named rookie of the year; Dalhousie's Lauren Smith of Burnaby, B.C., who was selected as the libero of the year; StFX's Katherine Ryan of Halifax, N.S., who received the student-athlete community service award; and Saint Mary's head coach Darren Russell, who was named the AUS coach of the year.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Kerri Smit, Saint Mary's

Kerri Smit, a fourth year left side and a team captain with the CIS No. 9-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies, is once again the Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball most valuable player.

A native of Shubenacadie, N.S., Kerri was also selected as the 2007-08 Atlantic conference rookie of the year, and was named the AUS most valuable player in 2008-09.

Smit, a second team CIS all-Canadian in 2008-09 and now a three-time AUS first team all-star, had another stellar season for the first place Huskies, leading the team in kills (3.88 per game), hitting percentage (.227) and scoring (4.49 points per game).

"Kerri is an extraordinary athlete who is physically gifted and competes hard in every match," said Saint Mary's head coach Darren Russell. "She has remained focused all year and continues to demonstrate outstanding persistence, determination and leadership. Kerri is one of our team captains and is a great role model for players to show how much can be achieved if you are willing to work hard and improve every day."

Smit, who was also named a first team all-star today, is one of only two Huskies to have ever been named the AUS women's volleyball most valuable player. Caroline MacFarlane was named the Atlantic conference's top player in 2000-01 as well as 2001-02. Smit will look to become the first AUS player to be named CIS Player of the Year since 1981-82, when Dalhousie's Karen Massen won the award.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jessica Roberts, StFX

Roberts, a native of Calgary, Alta., is the third player from the X-Women program to claim the AUS rookie of the year award. Katherine Ryan (2008-09) and Carla George (1996-97) are the only other StFX players to have won this award.

Jessica, a middle blocker who joined StFX out of the very successful Calgary Dino's Volleyball Club, started all 18 matches for the X-Women in her university debut, playing in all 72 sets.

The 6-foot-2 Human Kinetics student tallied 158 kills, 59.0 total blocks, 22 service aces and led StFX in scoring this season with an average of 3.14 points per game.

Her 37 solo stuff blocks led the Atlantic conference and were the third highest total in CIS this season.

"Jessica's transition to CIS competition has been seamless and I'm very much looking forward to having a hand in her development in the coming years," says StFX head coach Michelle Aucoin. "Her physical attributes have afforded her the opportunity to assume a crucial role within our team immediately, but it is her passion for the game that has allowed her to take advantage of this opportunity. She is often among the first to arrive and the last to leave the gym. This commitment to hard work has allowed her to realize some dramatic improvements in her performance and explains why many believe that she already plays like a veteran."

No Atlantic conference player has ever won the Mark Tennant Award as the CIS Rookie of the Year.

LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Lauren Smith, Dalhousie

Smith, a third year Science student from Burnaby, B.C., led the third-place Tigers with 3.88 digs per game this season and anchored a Dalhousie defence that held opponents to a stingy .128 hitting percentage.

"Lauren has been a key component of our team's success this year," said Dalhousie head coach Rick Scott. "She has been excellent on serve receive and very good defensively. In addition, Lauren is a great leader with a tireless work ethic both on the court and in the classroom. A true role model, she is well respected by all her teammates and coaches and is a tremendous student athlete."

Leah MacInnis (2005-06) and Angela Cormier (2002-03) are the only other Dalhousie players to be named the Atlantic conference's top Libero since the award was established in 1999-00.

No Atlantic conference player has yet been recognized as the CIS Libero of the Year.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Darren Russell, Saint Mary's

Russell, in just his second year at the helm of the Huskies program, becomes the first Saint Mary's recipient of this award since Lori Welsh-Hawley was named the conference's coach of the year in 1996-97 and 1994-95.

In 2009-10, his first as head coach, the Truro, N.S. native led Saint Mary's to a CIS championship appearance after an 11-7 regular season, followed by capturing the AUS banner on their home court in Halifax.

This year, he guided the CIS No. 9-ranked Huskies to a first place finish in the Atlantic conference with a record of 14-4.

His Saint Mary's squad, which has been ranked in the CIS top 10 for the past eight weeks, are riding an eight-game winning streak heading into this weekend's AUS championship tournament and have yet to drop a match in 2011.

Prior to last season, Russell had served as an assistant at Saint Mary's since 2002 and was the head coach of the Nova Scotia Canada Games team that competed in Charlottetown in the summer of 2009.

"Darren embodies exactly what any Athletic Director wants in a coach," said Steve Sarty, Director of Athletics at Saint Mary's. "He is passionate about his players and his program, he is extremely professional, a hard worker and wants nothing more than for his student-athletes to be successful both on and off the court. We are thrilled he is a member of the Huskies family and could not be more proud of him for receiving this recognition."

Russell will represent the AUS as the nominee for CIS Coach of the Year at next month's CIS awards banquet in Laval, Que. Moncton head coach Monette Boudreau-Carroll is the only AUS coach to ever be named the CIS Coach of the Year.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Katherine Ryan, StFX

StFX third-year left side hitter Katherine Ryan is the 2011 recipient of the Student-Athlete Community Service Award. A native of Halifax, N.S., Ryan is a three-time AUS all-star and was named the 2008-09 AUS Rookie of the Year.

She has not only enjoyed success on the court this past season, but has also excelled in the classroom and the community. Katherine led the X-Women offensive attack and was fifth in the conference in hitting percentage at .225 with 171 total kills.

A two-time CIS Academic all-Canadian and Dean's List student, she is an honors BA student in Development Studies with a subsidiary in Political Science. On the community involvement side, Katherine juggles her busy schedule with numerous volunteer commitments. She is a Big Sister for a troubled teenaged youth, she participated in the StFX X-Out Bullying program, and she is a member of the Youth Empowerment Movement, a volunteer group working to empower Antigonish youth around the world.

Katherine is also involved in a unique role with Radio Ada in Ghana through a partnership with StFX where radio programs are produced to address cultural and social issues in both the communities of Ghana and Antigonish. Katherine has volunteered at the local Tim Horton's Cup for a Cure hospital fundraiser, with the annual X-Women Serve for a Cure breast cancer fundraiser, and she is the head coach at the X-Women Summer Volleyball Camp, in addition to coaching at many mini volleyball and skill clinics hosted at StFX.

"Katherine epitomizes what this award is all about and I'm tremendously proud of her," said StFX head coach Michelle Aucoin. "In every way, Katherine has lived up to the lofty obligations associated with this nomination; not only does she excel on the volleyball court, but also in the classroom and in the community. It is a privilege to have someone of her calibre as part of our volleyball program at StFX as she continues to set an outstanding example for her teammates and for those who will enter our program in the future."

FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

The Atlantic University Sport first and second team all-stars were also announced Thursday, along with this year's all-rookie team.

First Team All-Stars:
Kerri Smit, Saint Mary's (4th year - Shubenacadie, N.S.)
Jill Blanchard, UNB (5th year - Saint John, N.B.)
Sasha Wilkins, Memorial (5th year - Gambo, Nfld.)
Katherine Ryan, StFX (3rd year - Halifax, N.S.)
Louise Facca, Dalhousie (3rd year - Aurora, Ont.)
Vanessa St.Georges, Cape Breton (4th year - Middleton, N.S.)
Libero - Lauren Smith, Dalhousie (3rd year - Burnaby, B.C.)

Second Team All-Stars:
Tessa Felix, Saint Mary's (4th year - Mill Bay, B.C.)
Erica Hay, UNB (5th year - Sussex, N.B.)
Catherine Thornton, StFX (3rd year - Kobe, Japan)
Véronique Carroll, Moncton (2nd year - Moncton, N.B.)
Marlee Powers, Dalhousie (2nd year - Bridgewater, N.S.)
Jane Pegg, Saint Mary's (2nd year - Weyburn, Sask.)
Libero - Pam Giordani, Acadia (3rd year - Dartmouth, N.S.)

All-Rookie Team:
Jessica Roberts, StFX (Calgary, Alta.)
Celina Abba, UNB (Fredericton, N.B.)
Erica Dowling, Cape Breton (Sackville, N.S.)
Marie-Pier Doiron, Moncton (Dieppe, N.B.)
Meaghan MacDougall, Acadia (Hammonds Plains, N.S.)
Jillian Lynch, Memorial (Fredericton, N.B.)

The 2011 Subway Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball championship gets under way this weekend at Cape Breton University in Sydney, N.S. Live webcasts of all five matches of the championship will be available at www.caperstv.ca.

The winner will be crowned AUS champions and will advance to the 2011 CIS Women's Volleyball Championship, March 4-6, hosted by Laval.

The 2011 Subway Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball championship schedule is as follows:

Friday, February 18th
Quarter-final #1: Dalhousie (3rd) vs. Cape Breton (6th), 6:00pm
Quarter-final #2: StFX (4th) vs. Moncton (5th), 8:00pm

Saturday, February 19th
Semifinal #1: Saint Mary's (1st) vs. Lowest Remaining Seed, 4:30pm
Semifinal #2: UNB (2nd) vs. Highest Remaining Seed, 7:00pm

Sunday, February 20th
Championship Game: Semifinal Winners, 2:00pm

-AUS-