Springfield, Mass. - November 17, 2010 - Seniors Kelsea Hellyar and Sarah Lang-Rodean capped off their outstanding seasons by being selected as 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Honorable Mention All-America. The duo was instrumental in Springfield reaching the NCAA Regional Championship and owning a 31-5 record this year.This marks the second time in three seasons that Springfield has had two players named honorable mention All-America in the same season. The last time occurred in 2008 when Heather Lively and Aylene Ilkson earned the national honor.
Hellyar had a stellar career at Springfield as she ranked second all-time in program history with 5,148 assists. The Fairhaven, Mass. native handed out 1,250 assists this season has she guided one of the most efficient offenses in the country. This year, the Pride hit .278 as a team, which ranks as the seventh-highest hitting percentage in the nation. Hellyar also posted 201 digs, 35 aces, and 29 blocks as she was also honored to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference First Team, the AVCA All-New England Region Team, a New England Women's Volleyball Coaches Association (NEWVA) Senior All-Star, and the NEWVA All-New England First Team.
Lang-Rodean was tremendous in her final season in Maroon and White. The NEWMAC Women's Volleyball Player of the Year racked up 347 kills this season at a .382 clip, which ranked in the the top 20 nationally, as well as 82 blocks and 35 aces. A force in the middle all season, the Mansfield Center, Conn. product was named to the NCAA Regional Championship All-Tournament Team and was also selected to the NEWMAC All-Conference First Team, the AVCA All-New England Region Team, a NEWVA Senior All-Star, and the NEWVA All-New England Second Team She ended her career with 1,190 kills to go along with 280 total blocks.
Moira Long will enter her second season as head women's volleyball coach in the fall of 2012. Long wasted little time putting her stamp on the program, taking the Pride to the NCAA Championship Elite Eight in 2011.
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