FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University's women's volleyball head coach Jackie Simpson-Kirr was named among the 11 coaches appointed as chairs on the AVCA All-America  and National Coach of the Year Committee.

Simpson-Kirr, who completed her second season at Mason this November, was appointed as chair for the East region and will represent those coaches' points of view during the ceremony of All-America selections in Columbus later this month. Simpson-Kirr, a former setter for Wisconsin, earned All-America honors herself
in 2006, as a result of a stellar campaign with the Badgers.

AVCA All-America Committee, East Region:
Chair: Jackie Simpson-Kirr, George Mason (Atlantic 10)
Alma Kovaci, Army (Patriot League)
Christy Pfeffenberger, Xavier (Big East)
Linda Hampton-Keith, NC State (ACC)
Emily Mansur, Hofstra (CAA)
Diane Short, Brown (Ivy League)
Resa Provanzano, UMass Lowell (America East)
Toby Rens, Maryland Eastern Shore (MEAC)

The committee, which the Patriots' coach is a part of for the first season, consists of nine additional regions – East Coast, Midwest, North, Northeast, Pacific North, Pacific South, South, Southeast, and Southwest. The chair of a specific region is chosen among Div. I whose programs fall within the confines of the same region. The entire committee is headed by Indiana's head coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan, who held the position last season as well.

In addition, Simpson-Kirr, who prior to Mason worked at Iowa, Marquette, and East Carolina University, will be a part of the educational panel presentation during the AVCA Convention, along with Hartford's head coach Mitch Kallick, Jacksonville's head coach Julie Darty, Abilene Christian's head coach Jason Bibler, and Washington's head coach Keegan Cook.