BELLEVILLE, Ont. - The top women’s volleyball players in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) were honoured Thursday morning in Belleville, Ont. in advance of the 2011 OCAA women’s volleyball championship hosted by Loyalist College.

Landis Doyle (Toronto) of the Humber Hawks was named the OCAA player of the year. Doyle established new OCAA career records in offensive points (1,120) and kills (194) in her fifth season with the Hawks. Doyle was among the league leaders with 4.46 points and 3.51 kills per game. Doyle also averaged 0.51 service aces and 0.43 blocks per game. Doyle is also a Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) all-Canadian and an OCAA West first-team all-star.

Trina Czerkas (Blezard Valley, Ont.) of the East Division champion Cambrian Golden Shield was named OCAA rookie of the year. The outside player was among the league leaders averaging 3.07 points, 2.26 kills and 0.74 service aces per game. Czerkas was also named East rookie of the year and an OCAA East second-team all-star.

Czerkas’ head coach Dale Beausoleil is the OCAA’s nominee for the CCAA coach of the year. The OCAA East coach of the year led the Cambrian Golden Shield to a 19-1 record, best in the division. Cambrian lost only 10 sets all season, good for second-best in all of OCAA. Three of the East Division’s top eight players in offensive points were members of the Golden Shield, including division scoring champion Shawna Metcalf (Azilda, Ont.), an OCAA East first-team all-star.

Stefanie Hancock (Huntsville, Ont.) of the West Division champion Nipissing Lakers joins Doyle as a CCAA all-Canadian. The West Division scoring champion led all OCAA players averaging 4.70 points per game, and edged Doyle as conference kills leader averaging 3.52 per game. The outside hitter is also an OCAA West first-team all-star.

Outside hitter Melissa Cappelletti (Cambridge, Ont.) of the Sheridan Bruins is the West Division rookie of the year. Cappelletti was seventh in OCAA West scoring averaging 3.03 points per game. Cappelletti also led the Bruins with 142 kills and 31 service aces while contributing 18 blocks.

Humber’s Chris Wilkins is the OCAA West coach of the year. Humber shared the top record in the division with Nipissing at 21-1, only losing eight sets all season, best in all of OCAA. Three of his players landed OCAA West first-team all-star status, including Doyle, Kelly Nyhof (Georgetown, Ont.) and Nina Carino (Scarborough, Ont.). Teammates Laura Bye (Burlington, Ont.) and Michelle Overzet (Brampton, Ont.) were named second-team all-stars.

Joining Metcalf as OCAA East first-team all-stars are Cambrian teammates Courtney Craig (Carleton Place, Ont.), Stephanie Walker (Echo Bay, Ont.) and Jillian Shell (Lively, Ont.); Trent duo Rebecca Van Staalduinen (Peterborough, Ont.) and Alex Thompson (Peterborough, Ont.); and Brittany Gray (Madoc, Ont.) of Loyalist.

In addition to Czerkas, the East second-team all-stars are comprised of Leeanne Jeffs (Stirling, Ont.) and Leighann Bishop (Kanata, Ont.) of Loyalist; Meghan Knapton (Huntsville, Ont.) of Algonquin; Kerri Fotherby (Newcastle, Ont.) of Durham; Allana Ferguson (Uxbridge, Ont.) of Fleming (Peterborough) and Jessica Clancy (Woodbridge, Ont.) of Trent.

Rounding out the West first-team all-stars are Mohawk’s Jennifer Knowles (Burlington, Ont.), Fanshawe’s Katie Reist (Waterloo, Ont.) and Lambton’s Kristen Lawson (Goderich, Ont.).

In addition to Bye and Overzet, West second-team all-stars include Liza Grenon (Sudbury, Ont.) and Lucia Demarco (North Bay, Ont.) of Nipissing; Stacie Thomas (St. Catharines, Ont.) of Fanshawe; Kellie Crnic (Stoney Creek, Ont.) of Mohawk; and Jennifer Reaume (Chatham, Ont.) of St. Clair.

2011 OCAA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS AND ALL-STARS

Women's Volleyball East Division Champions:
Cambrian

Women's Volleyball West Division Champions:
Nipissing

OCAA Women's Volleyball Player of the Year:
Landis Doyle, Humber

OCAA Women's Volleyball Rookie of the Year:
Trina Czerkas, Cambrian

CCAA Women's Volleyball All-Canadians:
Landis Doyle, Humber
Stefanie Hancock, Nipissing

CCAA Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year Nominee:
Dale Beausoleil, Cambrian

Women's Volleyball East Division Scoring Champion:
Shawna Metcalf, Cambrian

Women's Volleyball West Division Scoring Champion:
Stefanie Hancock, Nipissing

Women's Volleyball East Division Rookie of the Year:
Trina Czerkas, Cambrian

Women's Volleyball West Division Rookie of the Year:
Melissa Cappelletti, Sheridan

Women's Volleyball East Division Coach of the Year:
Dale Beausoleil, Cambrian

Women's Volleyball West Division Coach of the Year:
Chris Wilkins, Humber

Women's Volleyball East Division First-Team All-Stars:
Shawna Metcalf, Cambrian
Rebecca Van Staalduinen, Trent
Alex Thompson, Trent
Courtney Craig, Cambrian
Stephanie Walker, Cambrian
Jillian Shell, Cambrian
Brittany Gray, Loyalist

Women's Volleyball East Division Second-Team All-Stars:
Meghan Knapton, Algonquin
Trina Czerkas, Cambrian
Kerri Fotherby, Durham
Allana Ferguson, Fleming P
Leeanne Jeffs, Loyalist
Leighann Bishop, Loyalist
Jessica Clancy, Trent

Women's Volleyball West Division First-Team All-Stars:
Jennifer Knowles, Mohawk
Stefanie Hancock, Nipissing
Katie Reist, Fanshawe
Landis Doyle, Humber
Kelly Nyhof, Humber
Nina Carino, Humber
Kristen Lawson, Lambton

Women's Volleyball West Division Second-Team All-Stars:
Laura Bye, Humber
Michelle Overzet, Humber
Liza Grenon, Nipissing
Lucia Demarco, Nipissing
Stacie Thomas, Fanshawe
Kellie Crnic , Mohawk
Jennifer Reaume, St. Clair

- OCAA -

ABOUT ONTARIO COLLEGES ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) is a recognized leader in intercollegiate athletics in the province, dedicated to student athlete and sport development. The OCAA has 30 members sponsoring 16 league and tournament championships.

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Josh Bell-Webster
Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
Fax: 416-426-7308
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com