April 22, 2011

NEW YORK - Senior guard Erica Allenspach (Miamisburg, Ohio) of the Marist women's basketball team was named Player of the Year, and head coach Brian Giorgis was named Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year, it was announced Friday. Junior guard Corielle Yarde (Reading, Pa.) was named to the All-Met Second Team.

Allenspach is the second Red Fox to be named Met Player of the Year in program history; Rachele Fitz also earned the honor in 2009. This season, Allenspach was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year as well as the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting MAAC bests .502 from the floor and .838 from the free-throw line while also hitting her three-pointers at a .414 clip. Allenspach finished her Marist career ranked in the top 10 in eight statistical categories. She was named Second Team All-Met last season.

Giorgis previously earned Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2009, and was named Co-Coach of the Year in 2008. He led the Red Foxes to their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth NCAA Tournament victory in program history this season, a 74-64 triumph over Iowa State in the first round. The Red Foxes received their highest national ranking in program history (17th, ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll) en route to a 31-3 season and 18-0 mark in MAAC play. Marist led the nation in scoring defense and fewest turnovers per game this season. Giorgis' career record in nine seasons is 225-60.

Yarde averaged 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season as she was named First Team All-MAAC. She led the Red Foxes in rebounding, and was second in scoring and three-pointers made (43). Yarde led the Red Foxes in both points (25) and rebounds (12) in their second round NCAA Tournament game at Duke, and totaled 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals in the team's first-round win over Iowa State. She will enter her senior season with 999 career points.

All-Met players and coaches will be honored on Tuesday, April 26 at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, N.Y.