HALIFAX, N.S. - Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2022-23 AUS women's volleyball all-stars and major award winners as selected by the conference's six head coaches following regular season play.
Dalhousie outside hitter Lucy Glen-Carter was named the most valuable player for the 2022-23 season.
Other major award winners include UNB's Heather Benko, who was named AUS women's volleyball rookie of the year; Moncton's Cassidy Martin, who earned the student-athlete community service award; and head coach of the Acadia Axewomen, Michelle Wood, whose peers have selected her as the conference's coach of the year.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Lucy Glen-Carter, Dalhousie Tigers
Dalhousie Tigers outside hitter Lucy Glen-Carter has been named the AUS women's volleyball most valuable player for the 2022-23 season
A physiotherapy student from Toronto, ON, Glen-Carter finished the regular season leading U SPORTS and AUS in kills per set (4.72) and points per set (5.5). Her conference-topping 368 kills was the second-most in the country, as was her total number of attacks in the regular season (1030). The veteran player also recorded 35 aces, 245 digs and a .217 hitting efficiency.
Glen-Carter appeared in all 20 matches for the Tigers this season, helping to lead her team to a 17-3 record and a first place in the regular-season standings. In addition to being selected as the AUS MVP, she earns a place on the AUS first team all-star team today.
Glen-Carter is the 11th Dalhousie player to be named the AUS MVP, following Courtney Baker who took home the award in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. She'll now look to become the third AUS student-athlete to be named national volleyball player of the year award, which Baker won in 2019-20.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Heather Benko, UNB REDS (Kristen Ryan Memorial Award)
UNB REDS outside hitter Heather Benko has been selected as the 2022-23 recipient of the Kristen Ryan Memorial Award for AUS women's volleyball rookie of the year.
An arts student from Sechelt, B.C, Benko played in all 20 regular season matches for UNB, earning the third-most kills (21), kills per set (3.14) and total attacks (663) in the conference. Her AUS-leading aces (59) and aces per set (.86) were also the most in the entire country. Throughout the regular season, Benko recorded 4.2 points per set, the second-most across the league behind AUS MVP Lucy Glen-Carter.
In 2013, this award was renamed in honour of former Cape Breton Capers player Kristen Ryan. A five-year member of the CBU women's volleyball team, Ryan was a two-time Atlantic conference all-star and was named the AUS libero of the year in 2009-10. She passed away in 2012 following a motor vehicle accident.
Benko is the seventh REDS player to earn the conference rookie of the year nod following Kristen Burns in 2016-17. She now becomes the AUS nominee for the Mark Tennant Award for U SPORTS rookie of the year. No Atlantic conference player has ever won the national award.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Cassidy Martin, Moncton (Erin Bursey Memorial Award)
Université de Moncton setter Cassidy Martin is the 2022-23 recipient of the Erin Bursey Memorial Award, given to the women's volleyball student-athlete who shows outstanding achievements in three areas: volleyball, academics and community involvement.
A third year physical education student and Aigles Bleues captain, Martin is a leader on the court and in the classroom, recording 317 assists (5.20 per set), 13 aces and 78 digs on the season and earning Academic All-Canadian honours for her 4.04 GPA in 2022.
Her leadership is also on display in her work as a volleyball coach at the provincial, club and youth levels. Martin also showcases her passion for educating by volunteering her time as a referee and evaluator for volleyball clubs in Moncton area. Outside of volleyball, served as a track and field coach and an assistant coach for the para-athletics team at this past year's Jeux de l'Acadie.
"Cassidy's community service, academic achievements and leadership are a testament to her remarkable character, dedication, and passion for excellence," says Moncton head coach, Joline Richard. "She is a role model for her peers and an inspiration to those around her."
Martin now becomes the AUS nominee for the U SPORTS Therese Quigley Award, which has been won by an AUS player seven times. The most recent recipients are Saint Mary's Hannah Stienburg (2018-19), Acadia's Sarah Ross (2015-16) and UNB's Paige Paulsen (2014-15).
COACH OF THE YEAR: Michelle Wood, Acadia Axewomen
In her 11th season leading the Acadia Axewomen women's volleyball program, Michelle Wood has been chosen by her peers as the AUS coach of the year. This is her third time earning this award, which she also won following the 2017-18 and 2019-20 seasons.
Wood's Axewomen finished the 2022-23 regular season with a 14-6 record, entering the AUS playoffs as the third seed. The team leads the conference in kills (903), assists (8.62), block assists (166), digs (1519) and digs per set (18.30). Acadia also had the second-most total blocks in the AUS (158) and the third-most kills per set (10.88).
With this win, Wood becomes the AUS nominee for U SPORTS coach of the year. Only two coaches have won the national award in past years, Dalhousie's Rick Scott in 2016-17 and Moncton's Monette Boudreau-Carroll in 2007-08.
2021-22 AUS FIRST AND SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS AND ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
First Team All-Stars
Lucy Glen-Carter, Dalhousie (4th year, Toronto, ON)
Olivia Bell, Saint Mary's (4th year, Lahave, N.S.)
Sydney Zakutney, Acadia (3rd year, Ottawa, ON)
Rebecca Dorsey, Acadia (3rd year, Toronto, ON)
Heather Benko, UNB (1st year, Sechelt, B.C.)
Megan Bruhm, Saint Mary's (3rd year, Hubley, N.S.)
Grace Calnan, Dalhousie (3rd year, Dartmouth, N.S.)
Second Team All-Stars
Ella Hornby, Dalhousie (2nd year, Calgary, AB)
Emilia Mikanovich, Saint Mary's (1st year, Minsk, Belarus)
Emily Robichaud, Moncton (3rd year, Dieppe, N.B.)
Taylor Witty, Acadia (3rd year, Dartmouth, N.S.)
Charlotte Dean, Acadia (3rd year, Mississauga, ON)
Ivana Urquhart-Mladineo, Moncton (4th year, Saint John, N.B.)
Taylor Lougheed, Saint Mary's (1st year, Calgary, AB)
All-Rookie Team
Heather Benko, UNB (1st year, Sechelt, B.C.)
Taylor Lougheed, Saint Mary's (1st year, Calgary, AB)
Emilia Mikanovich, Saint Mary's (1st year, Minsk, Belarus)
Paris Stewart, Dalhousie (1st year, Halifax, N.S.)
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The schedule for the 2023 Subway AUS women's volleyball semifinals, presented by Bell, is as follows:
Semifinal Series A - Acadia (3) vs. Saint Mary's (2)
Game 1: Thursday, Feb. 23 – Acadia at Saint Mary's, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, Feb. 24 – Acadia at Saint Mary's, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, Feb. 25 – Acadia at Saint Mary's, 7 p.m.* if necessary
Semifinal Series B – UNB (4) vs. Dalhousie (1)
Game 1: Thursday, Feb. 23 – UNB at Dalhousie, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Friday, Feb. 24 – UNB at Dalhousie, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday, Feb. 25 – UNB at Dalhousie, 7 p.m. *if necessary
Semifinal winners will advance to the 2023 Subway AUS Women's Volleyball Championship finals. This best-of-three final series will be hosted by the highest remaining seed. All games will be webcast at www.AUStv.ca.
The AUS champion will advance to the U SPORTS women's volleyball championship, hosted by the University of British Columbia, March 17-19.