Martina Wagner Named Northeast Conference Player of the Year

11/17/06 -- Long Island University senior Martina Wagner (Friedrichshafen, Germany) earned Northeast Conference Player of the Year honors by a unanimous vote of the league head coaches. The Blackbirds also placed two players on the conference’s first team, and three more garnered second-team honors.

Wagner becomes the third Long Island player to earn the league’s most prestigious honor after having an outstanding junior campaign. A power player for the Blackbirds, Wagner is averaging 4.96 kills per game, 0.95 service aces per game and 6.16 points per game while leading the league in all of the aforementioned categories.

Heading into tournament play, outside hitter ranks second in the nation in service aces and 14th in kills. She posted a 2006 NEC match-high 31 kills against Seton Hall on Oct. 3 and came up with her first career triple-double on Oct. 21, recording 25 kills, 10 digs and 10 service aces in a win over Maine. In league play, Wagner’s numbers improve to 5.08 kills per game and 1.42 service aces per game.

Junior Shelby Heggie (Laramie, Wyo.) joined Wagner on the All-NEC First Team. The middle blocker finished the regular season ranked third in the NEC in hitting percentage, with a .338 mark. Juniors Trevon Dyson (Rock Hill, S.C.) and Lindsey Patty (Edmond, Okla.), along with freshman Svetlana Simic (Klek, Serbia) all earned spots on the All-NEC Second Team.

Simic, a libero, finished third in the NEC in digs per game, averaging 3.92. Dyson’s 0.83 blocks per game was 10th-best in the conference and Patty led the NEC in assists per game, with 11.06.

The awards were presented at a banquet on the eve of the 2006 NEC Women’s Volleyball Tournament, set to commence on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center. Defending champion and top seeded Long Island and #2 seed Saint Francis (Pa.) will receive an opening round bye in the six team single-elimination tournament.

First round action will kick off when #4 Central Connecticut State faces #5 Fairleigh Dickinson at 10:00 am, followed by the #3 Robert Morris versus #6 Wagner matchup at 12:30 pm. The Blackbirds will take on the winner of the CCSU/FDU match to open the semifinals at 4:00 pm in the second session on Nov. 18, while the winner of the RMU/WC match will square off against the Red Flash at 6:30 pm. The championship match is slated for Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1:00 pm. The winner of the NEC Tournament will receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.