NEW YORK – Eleven players from four BIG EAST institutions were placed on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Region Teams. Marquette junior Allie Barber was honored as the East Coast Region Player of the Year, while St. John’s Efrosini Alexakou was chosen as the East Coast Region Freshman of the Year. Creighton’s Kirsten Bernthal Booth was named East Region Coach of the Year.
In the East Coast Region, Barber was selected to the first team, along with teammates sophomore Martha Konovodoff and redshirt senior Jenna Rosenthal. Barber earned her second career honor, while Konovodoff picked up her first and Rosenthal grabbed her third consecutive accolade. Also on the first team is St. John’s junior Amanda Sanabia who was honored for the first time. St. John’s junior Erica Di Maulo and Alexakou, along with Marquette senior Anna Haak all garnered honorable mention status. This was Di Maulo’s second straight honorable mention nod, while Alexakou and Haak secured their first recognitions.
The BIG EAST placed four student-athletes on the East Region list. Creighton collected three accolades with junior Madelyn Cole and senior duo Taryn Kloth and Jaali Winters all on the first team. Butler’s Bri Lilly was selected to the honorable mention squad and was also recognized last season. Cole is a first-time recipient, while Kloth picks up her second first team honor. Winters is one of only three players in the nation to have been honored on the first team all four years. Creighton head coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth was named East Region Coach of the Year for the third time in four years, having also garnered the distinction in 2015 and 2016.
All-America honors will be announced next week on December 12.
2018 AVCA Division I Regional Awards
East Coast Region
First Team
Allie Barber, Marquette, OH, Jr. **
Martha Konovodoff, Marquette, L, So.
Jenna Rosenthal, Marquette, MB, R-Sr. ***
Amanda Sanabia, St. John’s, L, Jr.
Honorable Mention
Efrosini Alexakou, St. John’s, OH, Fr.
Erica Di Maulo, St. John’s, S, Jr.
Anna Haak, Marquette, OH, Sr.
East Coast Player of the Year: Allie Barber, Marquette
East Coast Region Freshman of the Year: Efrosini Alexakou, St. John’s
East Region
First Team
Madelyn Cole, Creighton, S, Jr.
Taryn Kloth, Creighton, OH, Sr. **
Jaali Winters, Creighton, OH, Sr. ****
Honorable Mention
Bri Lilly, Butler, MB, Sr.
East Region Coach of the Year: Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Creighton
* - denotes total number of years selected to the AVCA Division I All-Region Team