EDISON, N.J. - Marist volleyball had two players named to All-MAAC teams Friday night at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) awards banquet. Redshirt senior Joanna Foss (Northville, Mich.) was named to the All-MAAC First Team and freshman Marisa Gilbert (Pflugerville, Texas) was selected to the inaugural MAAC All-Rookie Team.
Foss played in all 28 matches for the Red Foxes this season, leading the team with 322 kills and a 3.29 kills per set, which was the sixth-highest average in the MAAC. She also finished third on the team with 14 service aces and third defensively with 245 digs. Her .936 reception percentage, in a team-high 686 chances, was also good for second on the team. In Marist's final match of the season, Foss recorded her 1,000th career dig, making her the first player in Red Fox history to achieve 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career.
Gilbert enjoyed a very successful first campaign in a Marist uniform, playing every set of the season. She led the Red Foxes at the middle blocker position with 14 solo blocks and 88 total blocks. She also had a team-high .314 hitting percentage, which was also good for second in the conference.
Additionally, seven Red Foxes were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. Foss was selected for the fourth time in her career. Fellow seniors Leeann Harridsleff (Simi Valley, Calif.) made her third academic team and Kayla Burton (Kissimmee, Fla.) and Stephanie Robinett (Sugar Land, Texas) both were selected for the second time. Sophomores Audra Brady (Allentown, Pa.), Grace Hill (Portage, Mich.) and Gabby Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y.) were all selected for the first time. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. Both Foss and Harridsleff were recently named to First Team Academic All-District and are now in the running for Academic All-Americans.
Siena's Taylor Akana has been named the 2011 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Lesli Akeo were named Co-Defensive Player of the Year with Niagara's Hannah Hedrick. Niagara's Sam Morgan was chosen as the 2011 MAAC Libero of the Year and Fairfield's Caitlin Stapleton was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year. Fairfield head coach Alija Pittenger was selected as the 2011 Anaconda Sports MAAC Coach of the Year.
Marist concluded their season with a 13-15 overall record and 10-8 in the MAAC, good for a tie for fourth in the conference. Canisius won the tie-breaker, by scoring the point differential matchup in the teams' two head-to-head meetings this year, and received the final spot in the MAAC Tournament.
