Story courtesy of Christa Parulis-Kaye, Assistant Commissioner of Media Relations

ATTLEBORO, Mass. - All five sponsored programs were represented on the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Men's Volleyball All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, three separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week.

Elms College Blazers sophomore outside hitter Alberto Bravo (Toa Baja, P.R.), a business major, was named the 2009 NECC Men's Volleyball Player of the Year. Over all he played in 27 matches, leading the Blazers with 391 kills (.344 attack percentage), 39 assists (0.13), 22 service aces (0.25), 130 digs (1.49), 67 blocks (0.77), and 18 block solos. In conference play, Bravo hit .343 with 173 kills (4.44 kills per set), 63 digs (1.62), 19 blocks and 14 service aces.

Fellow Blazer and freshman outside hitter Sequiel Sanchez Velez (San Sebastian, P.R.) nabbed the 2009 NECC Men's Volleyball Rookie of the Year for his first season of collegiate play. Sanchez Velez, an accounting major, played 21 matches with 66 sets notching 291 kills (4.41), 30 service aces, 172 digs (2.61), 35 blocks and 25 assists . In NECC action, he had 151 kills (4.44), 77 digs (2.26), 13 blocks and 13 service aces.

Bravo and Sanchez Velez were joined by their coach, Sheila Gisbrecht, earning top NECC honors. Gisbrecht was named the 2009 NECC Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year, several months after being named 2008 NECC Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year. She led the Blazers to share the top spot with a 7-1 NECC record and a 16-12 overall record. She finished conference action with a .875 NECC winning percentage and a .571 overall winning percentage garnering the #2 spot in the 2009 NECC Men's Volleyball Championship after a tie-breaker procedure with Newbury College.

The Lynx of Lesley University, led by head coach Liz Morris, were honored as the 2009 NECC Team Sportsmanship Award recipients. The Lynx concluded conference play in fourth place with a 2-6 finish and 3-18 on the season. They earned the #4 and final seed in the 2009 NECC Men's Volleyball Championship.

Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was conducted among all NECC men's volleyball coaches.

Joining Bravo and Sanchez Velez on first team was fellow Blazer junior setter Ivan Andujar (Carolina, P.R.);  along with Newbury's junior middle blocker Mark Thomas (Wilbraham, Mass.), sophomore setter/outside hitter Matthew Talamantes (Sylmar, Cal.) and senior outside hitter Bryan McDermand (Palatine, Ill.).

Second team honors went out to six student-athletes. Fellow Newbury Nighthawks'  sophomore outside hitter James Beck (Havre de Grace, Md.) and junior right side hitter Joshua Aberly (Palatine, Ill.);  along with Blazers'  senior Libero Marc Carrasco (Tucson, Ariz.) and freshman middle hitter Vincent Cruz (Harwinton, Conn.) ; rounding out the team were Daniel Webster  freshman outside hitters'  Chris Shannon (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) and Ian Catenzaro (Londonderry, N.H.).

Five players received honorable mention honors including Elms' freshman setter Jesus Echevarria (San Juan, P.R.), Newbury sophomore Libero/setter Michael Biuso (South Setauket, N.Y.); along with the Eagles' sophomore setter Eric Smith (Clay, N.Y.), Lynx' junior outside hitter Mike Jack (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Southern Vermont's junior Libero Ryan Heron (Plantation, Fla.).

2009 ALL-NECC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL FIRST TEAM

Alberto Bravo, Elms, sophomore
Sequiel Sanchez Velez, Elms, freshman
Ivan Andujar, Elms, junior
Mark Thomas, Newbury, junior
Matthew Talamantes, Newbury, sophomore
Bryan McDermand, Newbury, senior

2009 ALL-NECC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL SECOND TEAM

James Beck, Newbury, sophomore
Joshua Aberly, Newbury, junior
Marc Carrasco, Elms, senior
Vincent Cruz, Elms, freshman
Chris Shannon, Daniel Webster, freshman
Ian Catenzaro, Daniel Webster, freshman

2009 ALL-NECC MEN'S VOLLEYBALL HONORABLE MENTION

Jesus Echevarria, Elms, freshman
Michael Biuso, Newbury, sophomore
Eric Smith, Daniel Webster, sophomore
Mike Jack, Lesley, junior
Ryan Heron, Southern Vermont, junior