For Immediate Release
November 14, 2008
Wellesley Sports Information
Wellesley Volleyball Players Earn All-Region Honors
Wellesley, Mass. -- Five Wellesley student-athletes earned regional All-American honors from the New England Women’s Volleyball Association (NEWVA) and the American Volleyball Coaches Association of America (AVCA). On the NEWVA All-New England team, Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) earned First Team nods, while Emily Peters (Temescal Valley, CA) was selected to the Second Team. Alice Cummings (Tallahassee, FL), Samantha Du (Houston, TX), and Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, CA) received Honorable Mention honors. Duff, Peters and Cummings also earned spots on the AVCA All-New England Team while Du was an Honorable Mention selection.
Duff, a senior who earned NEWMAC First Team honors earlier this week, has racked up 432 kills this season. Her 3.70 kills-per-set ranks her third in New England and 42nd in the nation. Peters, also a NEWMAC First Team selection, makes her second appearance on the All-Region team after earning the honor last year. She leads the Blue in digs with 595, second in the region.
Cummings, a junior, and Du and Peng, both sophomores, make their first appearance on All-Region team. Cummings, a NEWMAC First Team selection, has notched 397 kills and 398 digs this season, placing her among the regional leaders in double-doubles with 17. Du, named to the NEWMAC Second Team this year, leads the Blue in hitting average (.307) and blocks (109), and is in the regional top ten in both categories. Peng has tallied 1325 assists this fall and leads the Blue in aces with 46. Her 10.97 assists-per-set ranks her first in conference, first in the region, and seventh in the nation.
Wellesley volleyball finished the 2008 season with an overall record of 28-8. The Blue advanced to the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" before dropping a tough match to Williams College.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Emily Peters |
Jessica Duff |
Alice Cummings |
Samantha Du |
Victoria Peng |
2008 NEWVA All-New England Team
| 1st Team | ||
| Kate Anderson | Williams | Berlin, MA |
| Nicole Ballon-Landa | Williams | La Jolla, CA |
| Lisa Drennan | Wesleyan | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Jessica Duff | Wellesley | Milton, Abingdon, UK |
| Dena Feiger | Tufts | Long Grove, IL |
| Heather Lively | Springfield | Royalston, MA |
| Alex May | MIT | Des Moines, IA |
| 2nd Team | ||
| Nicole Gurr | USCGA | Acton, CA |
| Sara Heller | Amherst | La Canada, CA |
| Aylene Ilkson | Springfield | Baldwin, NY |
| Dawson Joyce-Mendive | Tufts | Minden, NV |
| Brittany O'Bryant | Keene St. | Merrimack, NH |
| Emily Peters | Wellesley | Temescal Valley, CA |
| Caitlin Tomaska | Conn. College | Solana Beach, CA |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| Paige Blasco | Brandeis | Greeley, CO |
| Catherine Bravo | Johnson & Wales | Toa Boya, Puerto Rico |
| Alice Cummings | Wellesley | Tallahassee, FL |
| Samantha Du | Wellesley | Houston, TX |
| Natalie Goldstein | Tufts | Piedmont, CA |
| Victoria Peng | Wellesley | Diamond Bar, CA |
| Lorraine Wingenbach | Brandeis | Buffalo, NY |
Player of the Year – Heather Lively, Springfield, Royalston, MA
Rookie of the Year – Jane Handel, Middlebury, Evanston, IL
AVCA All-New England Team
| Kate Anderson | Williams College | RS/Opp. |
| Nicole Ballon-Landa | Williams College | MB |
| Alice Cummings | Wellesley College | OH |
| Lisa Drennan | Wesleyan University | OH |
| Jessica Duff | Wellesley College | OH |
| Dena Feiger | Tufts University | S |
| Natalie Goldstein | Tufts University | DS/Lib. |
| Nicole Gurr | US Coast Guard Academy | MB |
| Aylene Ilkson | Springfield College | OH |
| Dawson Joyce-Mendive | Tufts University | OH |
| Heather Lively | Springfield College | OH |
| Alex May | Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. | OH |
| Emily Peters | Wellesley College | DS/Lib. |
| Rachel Yorke | Amherst College | DS/Lib. |
Region Freshman of the Year: Jane Handel, Middlebury, OH
Honorable Mention: Paige Blasco (Brandeis, OH, So.), Michelle Doody (Colby-Sawyer, OH, So.), Samantha Du (Wellesley, MB, So.), Kate McWhorter, UMASS-Boston, OH, Jr.), Brittany Nolan (Endicott, DS/Lib., Sr.), Lorraine Wingenbach (Brandeis, OH, Sr.)