Lizelle Jackson Named Northeast Conference Player of the Year; Rens Named Coach of the Year

11/18/05 -- Senior outside hitter Lizelle Jackson (Palmdale, Calif.) was selected as the 2005 Northeast Conference Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year, in a vote by league head coaches. Blackbirds second year head coach Toby Rens was voted NEC Coach of the Year by his peers after leading LIU to its first NEC Regular Season crown with an undefeated mark in league play at 8-0.

Long Island went 22-12 overall and enters post-season play on a three-match winning streak and has won 16 of its last 18 contests. In his two years at the helm of LIU, Rens has compiled a 15-1 league mark and 54-19 overall record, including the NEC championship title and an NCAA tournament appearance last season.

Jackson earns the league’s most prestigious honor after having an outstanding senior campaign, leading the NEC in kills (4.11 kills per game/502 overall) throughout the season. She also ranks second in the league in points (4.44 ppg/542.0 overall) and fourth in digs (3.81 dpg/465 overall).

The senior outside hitter holds three of the top four spots in the conference for single-season match-highs in kills with 28 versus Willam & Mary, 27 against Northern Colorado and 26 versus Weber State. Always an offensive threat for the Blackbirds, the Palmdale, Calif. native was selected NEC Player of the Week twice during the season for the weeks of October 3 and November 7.

Jackson, senior Jade Gold (Jupiter, Fla.) and sophomore Martina Wagner (Friedrichshafen, Germany) were all first team all-conference honorees for LIU. Gold stands third in the league in hitting percentage (.271) and fifth in blocks (0.96 bpg). She has come up with 117 total blocks, including 87 block assists and 30 solo blocks. Gold also contributes 2.70 kills per game to compliment both Jackson and Wagner.

Wagner leads the NEC in points (4.50 ppg/539.5 overall) and ranks third in kills with 3.78 kills per game (454 overall). She also leads her team and stands third in the NEC with 58 service aces (0.48 sapg), while also contributing 2.92 digs per game for the Blackbirds.

Setter Ivana Vasiljevic (Brcko, Bosnia & Herzegovina) makes her fourth appearance on the all-NEC squad, after having earned first team honors in her three previous seasons. Vasiljevic ranks fourth in the NEC this season with 9.83 assists per game. She is the Blackbirds’ all-time leader in digs (1,558) and assists (5,588).

Defending champion and top-seeded Long Island and #2 seed Robert Morris will receive an opening-round bye in the six-team single-elimination tournament set to commence on Saturday, November 19 at Long Island University’s Schwartz Athletic Center in Brooklyn, NY. First round action will kick off when #4 Central Connecticut State faces #5 Sacred Heart at 10:00 am, followed by the #3 St. Francis (PA) versus #6 Quinnipiac matchup at 12:30 pm.