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Cummings, Ryan and St. Georges named AUS volleyball all-stars

SYDNEY — Three members of the Cape Breton University Capers women's volleyball team were named Atlantic University Sport all-stars, Wednesday.

Hilary CummingsLeft side Hilary Cummings of Sussex, N.B., and libero Kristen Ryan of Port Hastings were named to the first team, while middle Vanessa St. Georges of Middleton was named to the second team. It's the first time in the Capers program that two players have been named to the first team in the same season.

"I think it's just an indication, for one thing, of our level of play this year, even if we didn't have as many wins as we'd hoped for," said Capers head coach Claude Lapré. "These three players step up all the time and contribute in different ways.

"One's a front-row specialist, one's a defensive specialist and the other's an all-around player. But all three are strong competitors, so that's why they get recognized."

Kirsten RyanRyan, a third year player, led the conference in total digs with 333 and averaged 4.9 digs per game, while Cummings, in her fourth year, is second on her team in kills per game with 2.69, first in points per game with 3.01 and second in kills per game with 2.69.

They're joined on the first team by Jillian Blanchard and Tanya Paulin of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, Kerri Smit and Alison Beaver of the Saint Mary's Huskies and Catherine Thornton of the St. Francis Xavier X-Women.


Vanessa St. Geroges St. Georges, a third year player, led the Capers in kills (211) and kills per game (3.1), hitting percentage (.27), blocks (61) and blocks per game (.9) this season. She's joined on the second team by Alex Quinn, Leah McInnis and Katherine Ryan of the XWomen, Barb Vriends of the Varsity Reds, Louis Facca of the Dalhousie Tigers and Alyssa Berry of the Acadia Axemen.

The AUS all-rookie team was also named. It includes Rebecca Glancy and Emma Hunt from UNB, Meg Rector and Kristen Bolduc of Acadia, Hilary Sears of Dalhousie and Véronique Carroll of the Université de Moncton.

The AUS major award winners will be announced today, heading into the 2010 Subway Atlantic University Sport women's volleyball championship being hosted by Saint Mary's University in Halifax. The conference championship begins Friday.

The Capers are the No. 5 seed and play the No. 4 Varsity Reds Friday at 8 p.m. in the quarterfinal. No. 3 Acadia plays No. 6 Dalhousie at 6 p.m.

Saturday, the lowest remaining seed from the semifinal will play the No. 1 St. Francis Xavier at 4:30 p.m., while the highest remaining seed challenges No. 2 Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. The semifinal winners will meet in the final Sunday at 2 p.m.