Gary, Leite-Ah Yo Headline All-NEAC Announcement

GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – Freshman Anuhea Leite-Ah Yo (Hilo, Hawaii) and Head Coach Richard Gary of the Wells College women's volleyball team joined junior Vashti Nettles (Long Beach, Calif.) and sophomore Meredith Kadjeski (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) as award winners on the 2014 North Eastern Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball All-Conference list, the league office announced Wednesday.

Leite-Ah Yo was tabbed as the NEAC Rookie of the Year while Gary was selected as the conference's Coach of the Year following a vote by his peers. Nettles and Kadjeski secured NEAC First Team All-Conference while Leite-Ah Yo also earned a spot on the conference's Second Team for her strong rookie campaign.

As a team in 2014, the Express posted one of the finest seasons by any team in school history. Racking up a 23-10 record alongside a 10-2 record in conference play, Wells will make their first-ever appearance in the NEAC Women's Volleyball Tournament this weekend on the campus of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

An offensive and defensive threat for the Express, Leite-Ah Yo was recognized as both the conference's top rookie and a Second Team All-NEAC selection for her two-way play in 2014. The Hawaii native ranked second amongst all NEAC freshmen in total kills (263) and averaged 2.27 per set to rank 13th overall amongst qualifying players. She also had strong defensive contributions for Wells, tallying 2.93 digs per set to rank within the conference's top-20 student-athletes.

Posting the team's best reception percentage, Leite-Ah Yo committed only 31 reception errors in well over 550 total receptions. She also led the Express with six out of conference double-doubles in 2014, posting double-digit kill and dig totals against a tough non-league schedule. She also elevated her game against conference opponents, tallying a team-best 117 digs (2.92/set) in those matches.

"In a year with so many excellent upper classmen, [Leite-Ah Yo] stands out as an excellent first year player who had an incredible role on this team as an anchor in our pass and defense," said Gary. "Much of our success in the middle hitter roles this year was due to Anuhea's selfless play and her consistent effort pushed our team to some really fun matches this year."

Nettles picked up First Team All-Conference honors after a stellar regular season where she was the only conference player to rank within the top-three in both kills per set (3.40) and hitting percentage (.393) against conference opponents in 2014. Overall, Nettles registered a single-season program record .325 hitting percentage, hammering home 314 kills while committing only 89 errors while also chipping in with a team-best 66 total blocks. Her 143 kills against conference opponents ranked second overall in the NEAC and her 24 total blocks placed her eighth overall for blocks against league opponents.

"Vashti was a difference maker for us in many ways," remarked Gary. "Anyone who watched her hit saw one of the heaviest attacks in the conference and her gamesmanship was outstanding. If she was blocked once, she always created another opportunity. She was a major contributor in our amazing run this season."

Kadjeski, who was named Second Team All-Conference last year, joined Nettles on the First Team. One of the conference's top servers, Kadjeski ranked third in the NEAC with 69 total service aces, averaging .58 per set in 2014. Offensively, she placed 14th in the conference with 245 kills for the Express en route to her second-straight 200 kill season in 2014. At the net front, she chipped in with 40 total blocks for Wells.

She elevated her game not only against conference opponents, but during tough non-conference matches during the season. She notched double-digit kill totals in four straight matches from Oct. 17 to Oct. 25 and posted 23 kills and 11 kills against Ithaca and Scranton, respectively, as both teams were in the midst of 20-win seasons. In arguably the most important conference match of the year, Kadjeski's double-double against the Wolfpack of Keuka College helped the Express to their first-ever win against their Finger Lakes-rival.

"Meredith was brand new to the 'RH' position this year and overcame early challenges in finding great attack rhythm," said Gary. "It was incredible to see how hard she worked to help the team in any way possible. If she struggled in attack, she put greater focus in her block and serve and became a force there. By the end of the season, she caught fire on offense too, making her exciting to watch in all facets of the game, and helping us put out a much more varied offense."

Gary, in his third season working with the women's volleyball team, was selected as the NEAC Coach of the Year for his work with a young program. Hired to create both the men's and women's volleyball programs from scratch in late 2011, the Express endured growing pains in 2012 and 2013 that saw the team win three and five matches, respectively.

In 2014, the Express posted the conference's most dramatic improvement in overall and conference record after a 5-25 record in only their second season as a modern-era varsity program last season. The team tallied a 23-10 overall record alongside a 10-2 mark within the conference to qualify for the postseason for the first time. Steadily improving the team since a three-win season in 2012, Gary's team led all NEAC squads in service aces (318) and service aces per set (2.79).

Additionally, Gary's team was the only NEAC school to rank within the top-three in team kills, team kills per set, team hitting percentage, team assists per set and team digs per set. Wells also tied Cobleskill St. for the best out-of-conference record amongst NEAC squads (10-8) and played a tough non-NEAC schedule that included 20-win squads from Ithaca, Scranton and St. Lawrence.

"Richard has worked hard to create an excellent volleyball culture at Wells College," remarked Director of Athletics Michael Lindberg. "His program has consistently produced strong student-athletes, both academically and athletically, and his team's dramatic improvement in the standings attests to his passion for the sport and the team's commitment and dedication."