HADLEY, Mass. - Wesleyan sophomore outside hitter Lisa Drennan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) has been named the 2006 NESCAC Player of the Year, as determined by the conference coaches. Drennan helped her Cardinal team to a 7-3 conference record this season along with the number-two seed and a semifinal showing in the 2006 NESCAC Volleyball Championship.

Drennan set a new single-season record at Wesleyan for kills per game this year, averaging an impressive 5.56 kills per game on 528 kills in 95 games up front for the Cardinals. Drennan not only led the NESCAC this season in kills but also ranks among the top five players in NCAA Division III in the category. Along with leading the conference in kills, Drennan sits among the leaders in hitting percentage (.308) and service aces (0.72 per game), ranking third in both categories. In addition to earning 2006 Player of the Year honors, Drennan came away with NESCAC All-Conference First Team accolades after placing on the Second Team a year ago.

Three other 2005 Second Team selections, Amherst teammates senior middle hitter Kristin Quinn (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) and junior outside hitter Jaclyn DeMais (Hillsdale, N.J.) along with Connecticut College sophomore outside hitter Caitlin Tomaska (Solana Beach, Calif.), joined Drennan on the 2006 NESCAC Volleyball All-Conference First Team.

The Jeffs’ Quinn and DeMais garnered First Team honors after leading Amherst to a 27-4 overall record and the 2006 NESCAC Volleyball Championship, the third NESCAC Volleyball title for Amherst in program history and the first since 2000. The First Team selection marks the fourth year in a row that Quinn has received NESCAC recognition, as the former 2003 NESCAC Rookie of the Year garnered First Team honors as a sophomore in 2004 and Second Team membership last year. Quinn ranks second in the nation with a .471 hitting percentage while ranking among the leaders in the NESCAC in blocks per game (1.75, 1st) and kills per game (3.89, 3rd). DeMais closely follows Quinn statistically this season, ranking fifth in both hitting percentage (.282) and kills (3.62).

Tomaska followed up her 2005 NESCAC Rookie of the Year performance by helping the Camels achieve a 20-9 overall record and a 7-3 showing in conference play this season, advancing to the semifinals of the 2006 NESCAC Volleyball Championship this past weekend. Tomaska led Connecticut College in kills for the second year in a row with an average of 3.37 per game while also leading the team in digs with a 4.79 average. Both figures put her among the league leaders in kills and digs.

Williams senior setter Alexis Knepp (Austin, Texas) was the only holdover on the 2006 NESCAC All-Conference First Team from last year. Knepp tallied 1,016 assists in 2006 for a per game average of 10.16, fifth among all NESCAC players, as the Ephs posted a perfect 10-0 conference slate. Rounding out the 2006 NESCAC All-Conference First Team is Tufts senior outside hitter Kelli Harrison (Blue Jay, Calif.). Harrison is second among NESCAC student-athletes in kills per game at 4.32 and second among her teammates in digs, averaging 3.63.

Kendall Kirby (Piedmont, Calif.) of Colby came away as the NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. The senior libero led the NESCAC in digs again this season with an average of 6.61 digs per game, well above her league-leading 5.27 from last fall. Rookie of the Year honors went to Williams outside hitter Melissa Pun (San Francisco, Calif.). Pun was second among the Ephs this season in a variety of categories, including kills (3.28) and digs (3.69) per game, while her .280 hitting percentage was highest among first year players and seventh among all NESCAC individuals.

After guiding the Ephs to a 10-0 conference record and the number-one seed in the 2006 NESCAC Volleyball Championship, Williams head coach Fran Vandermeer was the choice among the coaches for NESCAC Coach of the Year. It is the first time that Vandermeer has received the league’s Coach of the Year award.