New York, NY – The Skyline Conference announced the 2013 Men's All-Star Volleyball Team on Tuesday afternoon. Sage's team was well represented on the team as they had four players collected honors and interim head coach Sandy Augstein-Collins was named the Coach of the Year by her peers.
After earning nine selections as the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week, it was no surprise that Sage's sophomore outside Andy Fishman (Cornwallville, NY/ Cairo-Durham) was named the Skyline Conference Rookie of the Year. He added a team-best 374 kills with a record 85 aces on the season, while also connecting for 184 digs and 33 total blocks. With the release of the latest NCAA Division III statistics, he remains the national leader in aces per set with his 0.79 aces per set average. He also ranks 15th in kills per set (3.5), while standing at No. 5 in points per set average (4.49).
Earning a spot on the first team is senior setter Kyle Ray (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads). Sage's first four-year letterwinner, Ray has established both single-season and career mark for setting assists. On his 2013 campaign, he has 1,213 setting assists, while elevating his career resume to include 2,819 setting assists. He ranks No. 12 nationally with his 9.7 setting assists per match average. Ray also holds Sage's career records for most career aces (98), most career digs (681), most games played (389), and most matches played (113), and stands in the No. 54 spot with his 510.5 career points. The selection to the First Team is a first for Ray, who has previously earned three selections to the Second Team during his career.
Sage played three players on the All-Conference Second Team as junior outside Dylan Krowicki (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls), senior Spencer Hilland (Slingerlands, NY/Bethlehem Central), and Fishman were all recognized for their play this past year. Krowicki checks in with 347 kills, 249 digs and 71 total blocks, while adding a .957 reception percentage on the season in 125 sets played. He ranks No. 48 nationally with his 2.78 kills per set average, while standing No. 46 in points per set average with 3.44. On his career, Krowicki has amassed 665 kills with 437 digs, 100 total blocks and 779.5 points, which is second best at Sage on the career record book.
Hilland has attached his name to many of Sage's career records. He hold the marks for most kills (842), most points (1,059) and most solo blocks (67), and most total blocks (249). On the 2013 season, he 285 kills with a .285 hitting percentage. He also has a team-best 271 digs with 101 total blocks. He ranks nationally in both blocks per set average (No. 34, 0.86) and No. 32 in digs per set average (2.32).
For Augstein-Collins, who was also rewarded in the fall of 2012 as the Skyline Conference Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year, the selection as the Coach of the Year in Men's Volleyball gives the Gators a sweep for the award. Augstein-Collins led her 2013 Gators to a 28-7 record, while helping the team to the first appearance in the Skyline Conference Championship Match. Sage's season continues as the Gators have been selected as the No. 1 seed in the 2013 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III North Men's Volleyball Championship. The tournament is a four-team field with, semifinals and a championship.
In the first-round contests on Saturday, April 20 #1 Seed The Sages Colleges (28-7) will host #4 Seed Daniel Webster College (NH) (15-12) at 11:00 a.m., while the second seed Elmira College (NY) (19-15) will face #3 Wentworth Institute of Technology (MA) (19-10) at 1:00 p.m. at the Neff Center in Troy, NY.
The first-round winners will advance to the finals on Saturday. The winner of #1 The Sages Colleges vs. #4 Daniel Webster College will face the winner of #2 Elmira College vs. #3 Wentworth IT at 4:00 p.m.
As a team, the Gators received three votes in the latest AVAC Division III Men's Poll, marking the second time this season the team has picked up votes. Sage ranks No. 5 in the team statistics in win-loss percentage (0.800), while ranking No. 6 in aces per set (1.83). Sage is ranked in the Top 20 in five additional categories. The Gators are No. 14 in kills per set (12.02), No. 15 in digs per set (10.44), No. 16 is assists per set (11.1), and No. 18 in hitting percentage (.240).
