Laite Earns Second-Team All-CAA Honors

Courtesy: UNCW Athletic Communications
Release: 11/15/2012

Courtesy: Joe Browning

UNCW junior Christi Laite was named a Second-Team All-CAA performer for the second consecutive season on Thursday

WILMINGTON, North Carolina - UNCW junior right side hitter Christi Laite was recognized as a Second-Team All-CAA performer on Thursday as the Colonial Athletic Association announced its annual awards on the eve of the 2012 CAA Volleyball Championship.

Laite earns All-CAA accolades for the second consecutive season as she becomes just the fifth player in program history to earn All-Conference recognition on multiple occasions during their UNCW career.

"This is a great achievement for Christi to be recognized for the second year in a row," said UNCW Head Coach Amy Bambenek. "She has developed into a tremendous leader on the court, and is also a stellar student in the classroom. She is someone that works hard to improve her game, and helps push our team on a daily basis to reach a higher level of play."

Laite started all 28 matches for the Seahawks in 2012 and led the team in both total kills (287) and kills per set (2.81). The Severna Park, Md., product also tallied 18 service aces, one solo block and 64 block assists to rank 10th in the CAA in points per set (3.31). Defensively, Laite averaged 1.33 digs per set as she finished the season with two double-doubles.

In other awards handed out Thursday, Northeastern junior Kelly Bacon was named CAA Player-of-the-Year while Towson's Aubrey Kirven (setter), Delaware's Ariel Shonk (defensive specialist) and William and Mary's Dessi Koleva (rookie) took home the league's other major player awards. Towson's Bruce Atkinson was recognized as the league's Coach-of-the-Year.

2012 ALL-CAA VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

Player, School	Cl.	Pos.	Hometown/Previous School
Alissa Alker, Delaware	Sr.	OH	San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch
Kelly Bacon, Northeastern	Jr.	OH	Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley
Nicole Bishop, Northeastern	Sr.	MH	Park City, Utah/Park City
Katy Buck, Towson	Jr.	OH	Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales Academy
Aubrey Kirven, Towson	Sr.	S	Uniontown, Ohio/Lake/Loyola Univ.
Kelsie Wills, Hofstra	So.	OH	Matamata, New Zealand/Matamata College

SECOND TEAM

Player, School	Cl.	Pos.	Hometown/Previous School
Catalina Charry, Hofstra	Sr.	S	Santiago de Cali, Colombia/Salt Lake CC
Danielle Erb, James Madison	Sr.	OH	Tampa, Fla./Plant
I'ishah Keliikoa, Towson	Jr.	RS/OP	Mililani, Hawaii/I'olani
Dessi Koleva, William & Mary	Fr.	OH	Torrance, Calif./South
Christi Laite, UNCW	Jr.	RS	Severna Park, Md./Severna Park
Chelsea Lawrence, Delaware	Sr.	MH	Evanston, Ill./Evanston Township
Lana Zonjic, George Mason	Jr.	OH	Zagreb, Croatia/II Gimnazjia Zagreb

THIRD TEAM

Player, School	Cl.	Pos.	Hometown/Previous School
Natalie Abel, James Madison	Sr.	OH	Washington, Pa./Trinity
Jillian Briner, Northeastern	So.	S/OH	Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park & River Forest
Marta Machos, Towson	Sr.	OP	Tomaszow, Lubelski, Poland/Midland College
Shaylin O'Connell, William & Mary	Sr.	MH	Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County
Ariel Shonk, Delaware	Fr.	DS/L	Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood Int'l Charter
Natalia Skiba, Northeastern	So.	L/OH	Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Player, School	Cl.	Pos.	Hometown/Previous School
Dessi Koleva, William & Mary	Fr.	OH	Torrance, Calif./South
Meghan Niski, James Madison	Fr.	OH	St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East
Mackenzie Olsen, Delaware	Fr.	S	Villa Park, Calif./Villa Park
Lola Owokoniran, George Mason	Fr.	MB	Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield
Ariel Shonk, Delaware	Fr.	DS/L	Atlanta, Ga./Riverwood Int'l Charter
Eliza Zachary, Georgia State	Fr.	MB	Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson

2012 CAA Player of the Year: Kelly Bacon, Northeastern

2012 CAA Setter of the Year: Aubrey Kirven, Towson

2012 CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year: Ariel Shonk, Delaware

2012 CAA Rookie of the Year: Dessi Koleva, William & Mary

2012 CAA Coach of the Year: Bruce Atkinson, Towson

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