Ephs Volleyball Players Named to NESCAC All-Conference Team

Williams Sports Info
11:15AM / Thursday, November 11, 2010

Emily Avis

HADLEY, Mass. — Despite having their season end in the semifinals of the NESCAC tournament, losing to eventual champions Middlebury, the Williams College Ephs are still being rewarded for the hard effort they have put in all year as post-season award lists have begun to come out.

Three Williams seniors, Kate Anderson, Nicole Ballon-Landa and Emily Avis, have all been named to the NESCAC All-Conference team. Anderson and Ballon-Landa have been named to the first team, while Avis earned a spot on the second team.

For both Anderson and Ballon-Landa it marks the third year that the teammates have both made it on the first team, an achievement that will likely go unmatched for a pair of teammates for a long time. Anderson finished the season third in the NESCAC in kills with a team-high 3.70 per set, while Ballon-Landa was once again among the league's best in hitting percentage with a career-high .346 percentage (3rd NESCAC) and 2.32 kills per set. This marks Ballon-Landa's fourth year on an all-conference team, in a career in which she was also named the NESCAC rookie of the year in 2007.

"First off, I am proud of what our entire senior class, Kate, Nicole, Emily and Eleanor [Levine], have brought to our program the past four years," said Eph head coach Christi Kelsey. "They all are great individuals both on and off the court and the four of them have been an absolute pleasure to coach."

"Having Kate, Nicole, and Emily repeat as all-NESCAC selections, is a tremendous honor not only individually for these three, but for our program as well. While I have only had the opportunity to coach this senior class for two seasons, I think all four of them had the best year of their careers in so many ways. While our record may not reflect it this season, our program is about more than just wins and losses. What these folks as a class have added to our program is invaluable."

For Avis, a setter, this marks the second year in a row that she has made second team all-conference, prevented from moving any higher by the log-jam of more high profile offensive players that clog up spots on the first team. A four-year starter, Avis wrapped up a stellar career that included over 4300 assists, one of the highest totals in Williams history.

"Kate came into this year in the best shape of her life," noted Kelsey. "She put in the work in the off-season and it showed from day 1 when we hit the ground running in preseason. She became a dominant all-around player for us on both sides of the ball offensively and defensively. More importantly, I think her confidence as a player and leader grew this season as well."

"Nicole's trademark throughout her career has been her offensive consistency," stated Kelsey.

"She has ranked not only among our conference and region's best in hitting percentage, but nationally as well. We asked Nicole to play several roles for us this season both as a middle and as a right-side and she did a great job in both positions for us. Nicole's leadership, drive and dedication each day in practice and matches were huge assets for us as well."

"Emily has established herself as one of our region's best setters over the past two seasons," continued Kelsey. "Her off-season work ethic translated into her in-season success especially this season. She has grown to command the court in our team system but doing so in a way that was constantly supportive and encouraging her teammates to be at their best. Her decision making on the court put our attackers in great situations and I think that overall helped us to be a more consistent and effective team offensively this season."

The talented trio, along with classmate Eleanor Levine, one of the most underrated players in the conference, make up one of the strongest senior classes ever to play at Williams. The four have made strong contributions since their first season on campus, playing an integral role in helping the Ephs to win three consecutive NESCAC titles from 2007-2009, as well as three NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite 8 in 2008.

Kate Anderson

Kate Avis

Nicole Ballan-Landa