April 7, 2009

JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Endicott College men's volleyball player A.J. Witkofsky (Scotia, N.Y.) has been named Second-Team-All-NECVA as a middle hitter as announced by the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association on Monday. Witkofsky helped lead the Gulls' to the program's first ever NECVA New England Division regular season championship as the team went 22-12 overall and 12-2 in the NECVA this season.

The junior middle hitter was the main focus point of the Endicott attack as Witkofsky led the Gulls in kills (463), service aces (29), and attack percentage (.330). A.J.'s kills total ranked him eighth in the NECVA in kills per game (4.50). Witkofsky was also a major force on defense as he led the Gulls in blocks with 137, leaving him fifth in the conference in blocks per game (1.33).

Senior middle hitter Andre Cranford (Bel Air, Md.) of Stevens Institute of Technology has been voted the 2009 North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Player of the Year in voting by the 42 eligible coaching staffs among the NECVA's five divisions. Cranford, who finished his career as a Four-Time, First-Team All-NECVA Conference selection, led the nation in hitting percentage (.498) and guided the Ducks to a record fourth NECVA title and an automatic bid in the 2009 Molten Division III championship. It is the second straight year that the NECVA Player of the Year has come out of the Metro Division.

Freshman outside hitter Billy Gimello (Hauppague, N.Y.) of Nazareth College was voted the NECVA Rookie of the Year. Gimello, who helped guide the Golden Flyers to their first NECVA Final, becomes the second straight Western Division Player to earn the Rookie of the Year award. He averaged 4.15 kills per set and ranked 12th in the conference in kills and points per set.

Rivier College head coach Craig Kolek was named the 2009 NECVA Coach of the Year--the fourth time in the last six seasons that he has been elected by his peers as the league's top coach. He previously earned the award in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Behind his leadership, Rivier won 30 consecutive matches, was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation, was voted the \#1 team in the NECVA Poll in each of the final seven weeks of the regular season, and earned the No. 1 seed in the NECVA Tournament.

Cranford joins Rivier junior Matt Ferreira (Lincoln, R.I.) as the First-Team All-Conference middle hitters while Gimello, Philadelphia Biblical University sophomore Justin Brubaker (Telford, PA) and Vassar College junior Phil Tully (Huntington Station, N.Y.) were tabbed First-Team All-NECVA at the hitter positions.

Tully won the 2008 NECVA Player of the Year award while Brubaker was last year's Rookie of the Year. Brubaker, Ferreira and Tully were all named First-Team All-Conference for the second year in a row. Brubaker easily led the league in kills at 5.83 per set and had 612 overall on the year. Brubaker and Ferreira were previously named the NECVA Western and GNAC Division Players of the Year, respectively. Tully ranked sixth in the league with 4.68 kills per set while Ferreira was fourth overall with a .426 hitting percentage.

Rivier junior setter Zach Hansen (Shelton, Conn.) earned First-Team All-NECVA honors at setter with 13.00 assists per set--second in the league while Nazareth senior libero Chris DeHority (Rochester, N.Y.) earned First-Team honors at libero, averaging 3.03 digs per set.

Nazareth senior setter Frank Leahy (Smithtown, N.Y.), a First-Team All-NECVA pick last year, headlines the Second-Team All-Conference selections. He led the league in assists at 13.05 per set and earned All-NECVA honors for the second time.

Sophomore outside hitter Alberto Bravo (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) of Elms College, the New England Division Player of the Year, was named Second-Team All-NECVA for the second straight year while teammate and freshman Sequiel Sanchez Velez (San Sebastian, Puerto Rico) also was named Second-Team All-NECVA. The tandem ranked ninth and 10th in the league in kills per set, respectively.

Rivier College sophomore Jared Andreozzi (Barrington, R.I.), Stevens senior Joe Trinsey (Wilmington, DE) and Ramapo College senior Shane Donohue (Freehold Township, N.J.) all earned Second-Team All-NECVA honors as outside hitters.

Newbury College junior Mark Thomas (Wilbraham, Mass.) was selected Second-Team All-NECVA as a middle hitter. Rivier junior Kyle O'Neill (Long Beach, N.Y.) earned Second-Team honors at libero.

The 16-player All-Conference team was selected from the First-Team selections in the NECVA's five divisions--CUNYAC, GNAC, Metro, New England and Western.

The full release can be seen by clicking here.