Volleyball Sweeps MASCAC Major Awards and Places Three on All-Conference Teams
Buzzards Bay, Mass. – The Framingham State University volleyball team placed three players on the 2011 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) All-Conference Team and swept the major awards as announced by the conference office this morning and voted on by the league's seven coaches.
Sophomore outside hitter Andressa Fernandes (Framingham, Mass.) was tabbed as the league's Player of the Year, while freshman middle hitter Ashley Nee (Hanson, Mass.) picked up Rookie of the Year honors. Head Coach Dick Casali in his 8th season at the helm was named the MASCAC Turfer Co-Coach of the Year. Casali who guided the Rams to a 19-14 record, a second place finish in the MASCAC (5-1) and the 8th seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference New England Volleyball Tournament shares Coach of the Year honors with Worcester State's Bernie Chase.
Fernandes, a second team selection a year ago, and Nee both earn first team honors, while freshman libero Kayla Bertrand (Agawam, Mass.) was a second team selection.
Fernandes notched 344 kills, 33 aces and 213 digs on the season. She was selected MASCAC Player of the Week once in 2011 and averaged just under three kills and two digs per game. Nee was second on the team with 280 kills, 218 digs and 67 total blocks on the season. Nee earned one Player of the Week honor this season and averaged 2.4 kills and 1.8 digs per set. Bertrand also had a strong rookie season for the Rams with a team best 69 service aces and 487 digs. Bertrand averaged 4.2 kills per game this season from the back row.