University of Maryland Eastern Shore senior Christina Estebane’ was named the 2008 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year the league announced on Tuesday.
Teammate Christine Edwards earned Rookie of the Year accolades and South Carolina State University’s Millicent Sylvan was named Coach of the Year as voted on by the MEAC head volleyball coaches and sports information directors.
Estebane’ is currently ranked fourth in the nation and leads the league with 0.64 aces per set. The setter ended the regular season ranked second in the MEAC with 9.80 assists per set and is among the top ten in the league with 2.79 digs per set. She tallied one triple-double (10 kills, 13 digs, 33 assists) and 10 double-doubles along with 16 30-plus assists per match this season.
Edwards had a stellar freshman campaign to garner Rookie of the Year accolades. The outside hitter ranks third in the league with 3.35 kills per set and is among the top ten in hitting percentage, aces and points. Edwards tallied 18 double-digit kill performances and recorded four double-doubles in 106 sets.
Sylvan earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors for the second time in her career. In her second year at the helm of the Lady Bulldogs, she guided her team to a 5-3 mark in MEAC play and 13-21 overall record after posting a 1-7 conference mark and 8-23 overall record a year ago. The Lady Bulldogs are ranked third in the league and 50th in the nation with 1.58 aces per set. South Carolina State is among the top five teams in the league in blocks per set (1.38) and ranks among the top seven teams in the league in five additional statistical categories. Sylvan previously won MEAC Coach of the Year honors in 2005 as the head coach at North Carolina A&T.
Whitney Johnson, the 2007 MEAC Player of the Year, joins teammates Estebane’ and Edwards as 2008 All-MEAC First-Team honorees. Gazelle d’Artois of Howard, Cassandra Joyner of Delaware State and Hampton’s Alyssa Jackson complete the first-team selections.
The MEAC Volleyball Championship tournament begins on Friday, November 14 with two noon matches. Maryland Eastern Shore (N1) will face off against Norfolk State (S4) and South Carolina State (S2) will compete against Delaware State (N3). Florida A&M (S1), will contend against Hampton (N4), while Bethune-Cookman (S3) will battle Howard (N2) in matches beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Competition will continue on Saturday with the semi-final rounds at noon and 3:30 p.m. The volleyball championship tournament will conclude at noon on Sunday, November 16.
For more information on the 2008 MEAC Volleyball Championship and for complete championship results, log on to www.MEACsports.com.
-2008 All-MEAC Volleyball Honors Attached-
2008 MEAC Volleyball All-Conference Honors
Coach of the Year: Millicent Sylvan, South Carolina State University
Player of the Year: Christina Estebane’, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Rookie of the Year: Christine Edwards, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
First Team:
Whitney Johnson, Maryland Eastern Shore .
Gazelle d’Artois, Howard
Christine Edwards, Maryland Eastern Shore
Cassandra Joyner, Delaware State
Christina Estebane’, Maryland E. Shore
Alyssa Jackson, Hampton
Second Team:
Jovana Blazeski, Florida A&M
Chelle Ticeson, Bethune-Cookman
Samara Ferraz, Florida A&M
Jarne Gleaton, South Carolina State
Lauren Harris, South Carolina State
Bria Brimmer, South Carolina State