McGill volleyballer Kelsey Irwin merits all-Canadian honours

(PHOTO BY ANDREW DOBROWOLSKYJ)

MONTREAL -- McGill volleyball player Kelsey Irwin of Vancouver, B.C., has earned all-Canadian second-team status in voting conducted by the Canadian university volleyball coaching association.

It marks only the eighth time in school history that a member of the Martlets has merited all-Canadian honours and Irwin is just the fourth McGill player to accomplish the feat, joining an exclusive group that includes Jennifer Thomson (who was named four times), Shauna Forster (twice honoured) and Wendy Whelan.

Irwin, a 5-foot-11 middle blocker and three-time Quebec conference all-star, ranked among CIS leaders in both total points (third) and kills (fourth). The fifth-year political science and sociology senior was named to the all-tournament team at both the Martlet and Carabins invitationals last fall. She was named twice as McGill's female athlete of the week on successive weeks in mid-November.

"Kelsey is a very efficient middle player who dominates the game at the net," says McGill head coach Rachele Beliveau. "She is a very quick and dynamic player in transition play."

A product of Lord Byng secondary school in Vancouver, Irwin ranked second among Quebec conference leaders this season in both points (4.16) and kills per game (3.37). She was fourth in blocks (0.87) and sixth in hitting percentage (.260).

UBC's Shanice Marcelle, a third-year outside hitter from Victoria, B.C., was named the CIS player of the year, winning the Mary Lyons Award and earning first-team all-Canadian honours. Joining Marcelle on the first CIS squad were conference most valuable players Kerri Smith (Saint Mary's), Melanie Savoie (Laval) and Kylen Van Osch (Guelph), as well as Trinity Western outside hitter Kara Jansen Van Doorn of Langley, B.C., Montreal Carabins setter Alexandra Lojen of Montreal, and Manitoba right side Ashley Voth of Winnipeg.

In addition to Irwin, the second CIS dream team is comprised of UNB right side Jill Blanchard of Saint John, Ottawa setter Tess Edwards of Ottawa, Alberta setter Jaki Ellis of Mississauga, Ont., Brandon left side Teagan Hunter of Brandon, Man., Montreal outside hitter Marie-Sophie Nadeau of Saint-Aimé, Que., and Laval left side Marie-Christine Mondor of Mascouche, Que., all first-time all-Canadians.

Nadeau also received the Mark Tennant Award as rookie of the year; Brandon's Donata Huebert, a native of Minden, Germany, was named the top libero in the nation; Trinity Western's Ryan Hofer, earned coach-of-the-year honours; and UBC's Jen Hinze of Vancouver, received the Thérèse Quigley Award recognizing excellence in volleyball, academics and community involvement.

Joining Nadeau on the CIS all-rookie unit were StFX's Jessica Roberts, York's Brandie Wilkerson and Alicia Perrin of Trinity Western, as well as Manitoba left side Rachel Cockrell of Winnipeg, Ottawa left side Myriam English of Ottawa and Brandon middle Meaghan Robertson of Brandon.

2010-11 CIS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL AWARDS & ALL-CANADIANS

Mary Lyons Award (player of the year): Shanice Marcelle, UBC

Mark Tennant Award (rookie of the year): Marie-Sophie Nadeau, Montreal

Libero of the year: Donata Huebert, Brandon

Coach of the year, presented by Coaches of Canada: Ryan Hofer, Trinity Western

Thérèse Quigley Award (student-athlete / community involvement): Jen Hinze, UBC

First Team

Position           Athlete                        University       Year    Hometown                  Faculty

Outside            Kara Jansen Van Doorn   Trinity Western5          Langley, B.C.               GENR

Setter               Alexandra Lojen          Montreal          4          Montreal, Que.             Law

Left Side          Shanice Marcelle         UBC                3          Victoria, B.C.               Human Kinetics

Middle             Kylen Van Osch          Guelph             5          Exeter, Ont.                 Biomedical St.

Right Side        Mélanie Savoie            Laval               5          St-Sylvestre, Que.        Education

Left Side          Kerri Smith                    Saint Mary's    4          Shubenacadie, N.S.      Arts

Right Side        Ashley Voth                Manitoba         5          Winnipeg, Man.           Kinesiology

Second Team

Right Side        Jill Blanchard               UNB                5          Saint John, N.B.           Science

Setter               Tess Edwards               Ottawa             5          Ottawa, Ont.                Communication

Setter               Jaki Ellis                      Alberta             3          Mississauga, Ont.         Phys. Education

Left Side          Teagan Hunter             Brandon           5          Brandon, Man.             Education

Middle             Kelsey Irwin                McGill             5          Vancouver, B.C.          Arts

Left Side          Marie-Christine Mondor   Laval               4          Mascouche, Que.         Sports Interv.

Outside            Marie-Sophie Nadeau  Montreal          1          St-Aimé, Que.              Arts & Sciences

All-Rookie Team

Left Side          Rachel Cockrell           Manitoba         1          Winnipeg, Man.           University 1

Left Side          Myriam English           Ottawa             1          Ottawa, Ont.                Social Sciences

Outside            Marie-Sophie Nadeau  Montreal          1          St-Aimé, Que.              Arts & Sciences

Middle             Alicia Perrin                 Trinity Western1          Creston, B.C.               Human Kinetics

Outside            Brandie Wilkerson       York                1          Brampton, Ont.            Comm.

Middle             Meaghan Robertson     Brandon           1          Brandon, Man.             BPES

Middle             Jessica Roberts            StFX                1          Calgary, Alta.               Human Kinetics

McGill All-Canadians

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

Communications Officer

McGill Athletics & Recreation

514-398-7012