BENNINGTON, Vt. – The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced on Tuesday its major awards winners and all-conference squads for the 2016 women's volleyball season with Southern Vermont College junior Ambroisine Agbelor (Harlem, N.Y.) being chosen to the league's All-sportsmanship Team.
Agbelor was a rookie for the Mountaineers, joining the team partway into the season. Still, she worked her way to become a starter for the final 15 matches of the season and was utilized defensively at the net to help the SVC blocking game.
"Ambro embodied the idea of what hard work and sportsmanship is all about," commented second-year SVC head coach Scott Fitzgerald. "She always came to practices and matches ready to go. Even when things weren't going well, you could still count on her to be positive. Her drive to get better is what makes coaching enjoyable."
Agbelor was a member of the Southern Vermont women's basketball team for each of the last two winters but tried her hands at volleyball this past fall. In her rookie season, she registered 16 total blocks and seven kills at the net.
The league's top awards and all-conference teams are determined by voting from each of the NECC coaches with the All-sportsmanship Team being selected by each of the Conference coaches.
2016 NECC Women's Volleyball All-Conference Teams and MajorAwards
Player of the Year: Hannah Koehler, Daniel Webster (Jr., MB, Bedford, N.H.)
Defensive Player of the Year: Julia Leggett, Newbury (Jr., DS/L, Longview, Wash.)
Rookie of the Year: Katryna Veasey, Regis (Fr., OH, Quincy, Mass.)
Coach of the Year: Karen McNulty, Daniel Webster
All-Conference First Team
Hannah Koehler, Daniel Webster (Jr., MB, Bedford, N.H.)
Anni Abbruzzese, Lesley (Jr., OH, Croton on Hudson, N.Y.)
Kaylee Deluga, Lesley (Jr., MH, Dennis, Mass.)
Courtney Banks, Newbury (Sr., MH, Corona, Calif.)
Julia Leggett, Newbury (Jr., DS/L, Longview, Wash.)
Katryna Veasey, Regis (Fr., OH, Quincy, Mass.)
All-Conference Second Team
Lauren Vallee, Bay Path Jr., MH, Bristol, Conn.)
Kayla Dupree, Becker (So., MB/OH, North Bergen, N.J.)
Madeline Roulier, Daniel Webster (Sr., OH, Pittsfield, Mass.)
Amanda Rowan, Mitchell (Sr., MB, OH, Sandy Hook, Conn.)
Kataya Sykes, Newbury (Sr., OH/RS, Brockton, Mass.)
Rachel Bartels, Regis (So., MB, Edinburg, Texas)
All-Conference Third Team
Marissa Turner, Becker (Sr., MB, Coventry, R.I.)
Nicole Beard, Daniel Webster (Jr., S, Shelton, Conn.)
Courtney Warrington, Daniel Webster (Jr., OH, Canton, Tex.)
Hannah Adams, Elms (Fr., OH, Deerfield, Mass.)
Colby Zitoli, Mitchell (So., L, Walpole, Mass.)
Sydney Trusty, Regis (Jr., OH, Durham, Conn.)
All-sportsmanship Team
Lauren Vallee, Bay Path (Jr., MH, Bristol, Conn.)
Cheyenne Melanson, Becker (Sr., OH, Sandown, N.H.)
Nicole Beard, Daniel Webster (Jr., S, Shelton, Conn.)
Carolyn Campbell, Elms (Sr., L, Miller Falls, Mass.)
Sarah Hollis, Lesley (Jr., OPP, Hudson, Mass.)
Italia Krick, Mitchell (Jr., OH, Griswold, Conn.)
Lindsey Clark, Newbury (Sr., DS, Venice, Fla.)
Erika Andreoli, Regis (So., DS, Naugatuck, Conn.)
Ambroisine Agbelor, Southern Vermont (Jr., MB, Harlem, N.Y.)
– #LetsGoSVC –