AUS Women's Volleyball All-Stars Announced

Katherine Ryan named AUS 2nd team all-star
Ryan & Heather Isenor named to AUS all-rookie team

(February 11, 2009) HALIFAX, NS - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2008-09 women's volleyball all-star teams as selected by the conference's head coaches following regular season play.

The Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues (15-5, 1st place) and UNB Varsity Reds (12-8, 2nd place) were each rewarded with two first team selections and a second team selection. Former AUS MVP's Kristine Levesque (2006-07 MVP) and Melanie Doucette (2005-06 and 2007-08 MVP) were among those named to the first team. Doucette has been an Atlantic conference all-star in all five of her seasons at UNB, while Levesque is a four-time selection.

Levesque (Grand Sault, NB) led the league in hitting percentage (0.362) while Doucette, a fifth year setter from Fredericton, NB ranked second in the conference in assists this season with 9.69 per game. UNB's Jill Blanchard, the 2006-07 AUS Rookie of the Year, was also selected as was Moncton's Rachelle LeBlanc. Blanchard and LeBlanc were both second team selections last season.

Rounding out the first team selections are Kerri Smit (Shubenacadie, NS) of the Saint Mary's Huskies and Brianne Walsh (Sydney, NS) of the Cape Breton Capers. Smit, last year's Atlantic University Sport Rookie of the Year and a second team all-star, led the conference in scoring (5.48 points per game) and kills (4.71 per game). Walsh, a a fifth year middle with CBU, was a second team all-star in 2006-07 and 2007-08 and this season she led the Capers in scoring, kills and hitting percentage.

The 2008-09 women's volleyball first team all-stars are as follows:

First Team All-Stars:
Kristine Levesque, Moncton (5th year - Grand-Sault, NB)
Melanie Doucette, UNB (5th year - Fredericton, NB)
Kerri Smit, Saint Mary's (2nd year - Shubenacadie, NS)
Jill Blanchard, UNB (3rd year - Saint John, NB)
Rachelle LeBlanc, Moncton (5th year - Comeauville, NS)
Brianne Walsh, Cape Breton (5th year - Sydney, NS)

The 2008-09 second team is led by Memorial's Sasha Wilkins (Gambo, NL), the 2005-06 Atlantic University Sport Rookie of the Year, and Saint Mary's middle Janesse Boudreau (Lower Wedgeport, NS). Wilkins led the conference with 37 aces this season (0.48 per game) and finished third in kills (3.70 per game) and scoring (4.39 points per game). Boudreau, in her fifth and final year of eligibility with the Huskies, ranked eighth in the AUS in hitting percentage this season. Both Wilkins and Boudreau were first team selections last season, while the remainder of this year's second team are all first-time all-stars.

UNB's Tanya Paulin, Moncton's Noémie Michaud along with first-year players Lauren Smith of Dalhousie and Katherine Ryan of StFX were the other second team all-stars announced today.

Smith (Burnaby, BC) and Ryan (Halifax, NS) are the first all-stars from each respective program in three years. Smith led the Tigers in digs this season with an average of 3.26 per game (10th in the AUS), while Ryan appeared in all 74 games for the X-Women, and led the team in hitting percentage (0.208), kills (4.36 per game) and scoring (4.76 points per game).

Paulin, a native of Bathurst, NB, ranked second in the league in hitting percentage (0.356) and was third in blocks (1.00 per game). Michaud finished third in hitting percentage (0.312).

The 2008-09 women's volleyball second team all-stars are as follows:

Second Team All-Stars:
Sasha Wilkins, Memorial (3rd year - Gambo, NL)
Janesse Boudreau, Saint Mary's (5th year - Lower Wedgeport, NS)
Katherine Ryan, StFX (1st year - Halifax, NS)
Lauren Smith, Dalhousie (1st year - Burnaby, BC)
Tanya Paulin, UNB (2nd year - Bathurst, NB)
Noémie Michaud, Moncton (4th year - Baie Comeau, PQ)

This season marks the first time Atlantic University Sport has recognized an all-rookie team in women's volleyball. The 2008-09 all-rookie team is as follows:

All-Rookie Team:
Katherine Ryan, StFX (Halifax, NS)
Lauren Smith, Dalhousie (Burnaby, BC)
Megan Brown, Cape Breton (North Sydney, NS)
Heather Isenor, StFX (Antigonish, NS)
Nicole Davidson, Acadia (White Rock, BC)
Samantha March, Memorial (Bay Roberts, NL)

The 2009 Subway Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball championship is being held this weekend at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS. For more information on the 2009 championship, visit the event website at http://www.acadiaathletics.ca/volleyball_championship.

Two Atlantic University Sport teams (Atlantic champions and UNB as host) will advance to the 2009 CIS Women's Volleyball Championship, Feb. 26th-28th, hosted by the University of New Brunswick. If UNB wins the Atlantic University Sport championship, the runner-up will advance as the second representative from the Atlantic conference.

The 2009 Subway Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball championship schedule is as follows:

Friday, February 13th
- Quarter-final #1: Saint Mary's (3rd) vs. Acadia (6th), 6:00pm
- Quarter-final #2: Cape Breton (4th) vs. StFX (5th), 8:00pm

Saturday, February 14th
- Semi-final #1: Moncton (1st) vs. Lowest Remaining Seed, 4:30pm
- Semi-final #2: UNB (2nd) vs. Highest Remaining Seed, 7:00pm

Sunday, February 15th
- Championship Game: Semi-final Winners, 2:00pm

For further information, please visit www.atlanticuniversitysport.com