Nov. 22, 2009
CAA Tournament Notes
RICHMOND, Va. - Junior middle blocker/opposite hitter Holly Goode had a breakout season in 2009 for the George Mason women's volleyball team, and the Colonial Athletic Association has rewarded her efforts by naming her its Player of the Year. Additionally, head coach Pat Kendrick was named the CAA's Coach of the Year for the eighth time in her career.
The duo was among five Patriots recognized as the CAA handed out its annual awards at the banquet on the eve of the conference championship, hosted by VCU.
Along with sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Bohman, Goode was named to the All-CAA First Team, while junior setter Fernanda Bartels earned All-CAA Second Team plaudits. Freshman libero Koala Matsuoka was selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team.
Goode had a breakout season in her first year as a full-time starter at George Mason. The junior led the Patriots with 303 kills in 96 sets. She ranked third in the CAA in kills per set (3.16), fifth with a .293 attack percentage and third in points per set with 3.68. Goode also contributed defensively, ranking second on the team with 220 digs and third on the squad with 81 total blocks.
The Virginia Beach, Va., native tallied nine double-doubles this season, second-most on the team. She is the first Mason player since 2003 to receive CAA Player of the Year accolades, when Aline Pereira won the last of her three consecutive awards.
Kendrick received the honor for the eighth time in her career after guiding Mason to a 21-8 record during the regular season, including a 10-4 mark and third place in the CAA standings. Mason's 21 wins this season are 12 more than its 9-18 record a year ago, and the Patriots doubled their CAA victory total as well.
Bohman, a Scottsdale, Ariz., native, currently ranks 13th in NCAA Division I in blocking, as she is leading the CAA with an average of 1.41 blocks per set. She is also sixth in the conference in hitting percentage (.291) and is fourth on the team with 195 kills.
Bartels is second in the conference in assists, averaging 9.74 per set for a total of 1,062. The Belo Horizonte, Brazil, native leads the Patriots in digs as well with 271, and is third in aces (23) and fourth in blocks (60) among teammates.
Matsuoka has had a strong debut season with the Patriots, as the Wahiawa, Hawaii product leads the team with a 3.38 digs-per-set average. She won the CAA Rookie of the Week award two weeks ago after a weekend in which she turned in 29 digs against William & Mary, tying the fourth-most by a Patriot in a single match.
The Patriots begin their quest for their eighth CAA Championship on Monday when they face No. 2 Delaware in the first semifinal match, scheduled for 4 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Arena at the Siegel Center. The winner of that match will face either No. 1 VCU or No. 4 William & Mary in the championship, with a berth in the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Mason is 2-4 against the field of this year's championship. The Patriots split with both VCU and William and Mary, and fell to Delaware in both of their contests against the Blue Hens.
Live stats and free web-streaming of all of the CAA Championship matches can be found at VCUathletics.com.
CAA VOLLEYBALL AWARD WINNERS
2009 CAA Player of the Year: Holly Goode, George Mason
2009 CAA Setter of the Year: Jess Chason, Delaware
2009 CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year: Lindsey Pflugner, William & Mary
2009 CAA Rookie of the Year: Michala Kvapilova, VCU
2009 CAA Coach of the Year: Pat Kendrick, George Mason
First-Team All-CAA
Stephanie Barry (Delaware)
Kelsey Bohman (George Mason)
Jess Chason (Delaware)
Holly Goode (George Mason)
Michala Kvapilova (VCU),
Lindsey Pflugner (William & Mary)
Second-Team All-CAA
Fernanda Bartels (George Mason)
Britney Brown (Northeastern)
Monica Knight (Hofstra)
Lindsay Kresch (William & Mary)
Ivana Rich (VCU)
Kim Stewart (Delaware)
Third-Team All-CAA
Kelsie Clegg (VCU)
Katie Dennehy (Delaware)
Danielle Erb (James Madison)
Ashley Jones (Georgia State)
Lenka Melicharkova (VCU)
Erin Skipper (William & Mary)
Anissa Whitney (Hofstra)
All-Rookie Team
Alissa Alker (Delaware)
Danielle Erb (James Madison)
Jamiee Freeman (Georgia State)
Michala Kvapilova (VCU)
Marisa Low (VCU)
Jordyn Maloney (William & Mary)
Koala Matsuoka (George Mason)
