Connecticut College’s Schroff Takes Home Player of the Year Honors

HADLEY, Mass. – Senior right side hitter Rachel Schroff of Connecticut College has been selected as the 2012 NESCAC Player of the Year by the league’s coaches. Schroff earned All-Conference honors for the first time in her career after lifting the Camels to the top seed in the NESCAC Championship. The captain led the conference with 3.42 kills per set, while ranking second with a .312 hitting percentage. She also posted 42 service aces en route to earning First Team honors.

Schroff was joined on the All-NESCAC First Team by classmate Katie Ketcham, who was also honored for the first time in her career. The senior setter led the league in assists, averaging 10.40 per set.

Middlebury junior Megan Jarchow earned her second consecutive spot on the First Team after being named Rookie of the Year in 2009. The outside hitter posted 19 kills on Sunday to help the Panthers top Connecticut College 3-0 and claim their fourth NESCAC title. Jarchow ranks fifth in the league and first among her teammates with 3.13 kills per set. Meanwhile, her hitting percentage of .270 is the seventh highest in the league.

Junior setter Sophia Cornew and senior outside hitter Melissa Haskell represented Bowdoin on the First Team. Cornew earned her second First Team honor, racking up 9.59 assists per set and 47 service aces. Haskell leads the Polar Bears with 2.89 kills per set and is also among the league leaders with a hitting percentage of .268. She has chipped in defensively with 3.06 digs per set  and 37 blocks. Bowdoin was selected to participate in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

After being named NESCAC Co-Player of the Year in 2011, Kendall Lord of Tufts earned her second consecutive First Team honor. Lord was also named to the Second Team in 2010. The setter dished out 8.88 assists per set during her senior campaign and is currently ranked third in the conference in the category. She was among her team leaders in hitting percentage (.248), blocks (51), digs per set (2.97) and service aces (20).

Senior libero Caitlin Barrett of Middlebury was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year after piling up a league-best 5.01 digs per set. A Second Team selection a year ago, she earned First Team honors in 2012. Barrett boasts a .949 reception percentage, with just 25 errors on 489 attempts this season. She will look to lead the Panthers in the NCAA Tournament when First Round action gets underway on Friday.

Connecticut College first year Caroline Martin became the second player in program history to earn NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors. The outside hitter ranks second in the league with 3.35 kills per set, while leading the conference with 53 service aces. Martin has also been effective on the defensive side of the ball, posting 3.28 digs per set and 28 blocks. Caitlin Tomaska was the Camels’ first Rookie of the Year in 2005.

Martin was joined on the All-NESCAC Second Team by Amherst first year outside hitter Lizzie Ahern, Tufts sophomore outside hitter Kelly Brennan, Trinity junior outside hitter Hannah Brickley, Williams junior middle blocker Emily Doll, Middlebury senior right side hitter Julia Gibbs and Middlebury junior right side hitter Amy Hart.

Josh Edmed of Connecticut College was named Coach of the Year after leading his squad to a 24-3 record. With their 8-2 mark in league play, the Camels earned the right to host the NESCAC Championship for the first time in program history and will also host an NCAA Regional for the first time this weekend. In his 11 years at the helm, Edmed has posted an overall record of 186-109.

Volleyball All Conference Teams

First Team All-NESCAC Name Institution Year Position Hometown Caitlin Barrett Middlebury Sr.  L Medfield, Mass. Sophia Cornew Bowdoin Jr. S Portola Valley, Calif. Melissa Haskell Bowdoin Sr. OH Medfield, Mass. Megan Jarchow Middlebury Jr.  OH Cos Cob, Conn. Katie Ketcham Conn. College Sr. S San Francisco, Calif.  Kendall Lord Tufts Sr. S La Jolla, Calif. Rachel Schroff Conn. College Sr.  RS Palos Verdes, Calif.           Second Team All-NESCAC Name Institution Year Position Hometown Lizzie Ahern Amherst Fy. OH Corte Madera, Calif. Kelly Brennan Tufts So. OH/OPP Burr Ridge, Ill. Hannah Brickley Trinity Jr. OH Melrose, Mass.  Emily Doll Williams Jr. MB Villa Park, Calif. Julia Gibbs Middlebury Sr. RH Houston, Texas Amy Hart Middlebury Jr. RH Kenilworth, Ill. Caroline Martin Conn. College Fy. OH Palo Alto, Calif.

Player of the Year Rachel Schroff, Conn. College Defensive Player of the Year Caitlin Barrett, Middlebury Rookie of the Year Caroline Martin, Conn. College Coach of the Year Josh Edmed, Conn. College