HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (August 25, 2010) - The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) volleyball preseason poll was released on Wednesday and Centenary was voted to place fifth. The Cyclones received 89 points, twenty behind fourth-place Baptist Bible. Cabrini College (141 points, 10 first-place votes) was voted to finish first, edging out Neumann University (121 points) and Philadelphia Biblical (119 points, one first-place vote), who were picked second and third respectively.

Last season, the Lady Cyclones finished 15-17 overall with a 7-4 record in Conference. Both of those win totals marked a program high for Centenary. The Lady Cyclones will return most of their team in 2010 and they look to build upon the successes of 2009.

Centenary begins its season on Friday, Sept. 3 at the Moravian College Tournament. The Cyclones first game in conference is also their home opener against Neumann University on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

CSAC Volleyball Preseason Poll Results

Centenary women’s volleyball coach Dinu Dan has improved the team in each of his four years, and 2009 was no different. The Lady Cyclones finished the year 15-17, including a 7-4 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) mark, setting program-records for wins and conference victories, and reached the conference tournament for the first time since 2004, when it was a member of the Skyline and Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic conferences. Centenary, the fifth-seed in the playoffs, fell to the fourth-seeded Baptist Bible Defenders in a hard fought 25-17, 25-23 and 25-19 contest.

Freshman Jelena Markovic was named the CSAC Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Conference while taking home three All-Tournament Team honors (Greyhound Invitational, Flying Dutchman and Montclair State Classic), two CSAC Weekly awards, including Player of the Week accolades on Sept. 28 and two Cyclone of the Week awards. She led the team in assists (489) and aces (79) and finished second in kills (225), digs (222) and blocks (39). Her assists total is the second-highest single-season mark in program history. She was also named Centenary’s Female Rookie of the Year.

Markovic served as co-captain along with Devon Paffendorf, who led the team with 239 kills. She recorded her 500th career kill in CC’s CSAC Tournament loss at Baptist Bible and stands in sixth-place on the program’s all-time list, behind teammate Kelly Zegarowitz, who has 550. Kelsey Walter was a rock defensively, recording a Centenary single-season record 514 digs on the year, surpassing her own mark of 449. She now has 963 digs for her career and needs 11 to become the program’s all-time leader in that category.

Academically, the team earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, given to teams with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above, and eight Lady Cyclones received CSAC All-Academic Team honors.

Centenary returns all of its offense and most of its defense, losing only Cara Gibson (29 kills, 16 digs) and Yuki Arita (108 digs). With most of the team intact, the Cyclones look to build on their successful 2009 season. 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 21, 2010) – The Centenary women’s volleyball team received American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award honors, the organization announced Wednesday. The award recognizes those teams with a cumulative team grade point average of 3.3 or above on a 4.0 scale.

Centenary is one of 75 Division III teams and one of two Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) squads to receive the accolade, the other being Immaculata. CC also was honored by the CSAC for its work in the classroom, as eight Cyclones took home CSAC All-Academic Team honors.

Centenary set program records in wins and conference victories last season after finishing 15-17, including 7-4 in CSAC action. The team reached the conference tournament for the first time since 2004, when it was a member of the Skyline and Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic conferences. Centenary, the fifth-seed in the playoffs, fell to the fourth-seeded Baptist Bible Defenders in a hard fought 25-17, 25-23 and 25-19 contest. 

ASTON, Pa. (February 3, 2010) – The Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) announced its All-Academic recipients for the Fall 2009 Semester on Wednesday. Forty-one Centenary student-athletes received the honor.

“It is my pleasure to announce that 528 CSAC student-athletes have achieved the level of academic success necessary to be named to the Fall 2009 CSAC All-Academic Team,” said CSAC Commissioner Amy Friedman. “These student-athletes have assumed leadership roles on their campuses by demonstrating that a complete education includes both academics and athletics.”

The CSAC All Academic Award is earned by each student-athlete that meets the NCAA Division III eligibility requirements, earns varsity status in their respective sport, and earns a minimum semester grade point average (GPA) of 3.2. The team consists of student-athletes from Men’s Cross Country, Women’s Cross Country, Field Hockey, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis and Volleyball.

Of the 528 student-athletes receiving this award, 45 were First Team All-CSAC in their respective sport, 38 were named to the Second Team All-CSAC in their respective sport, 38 received Honorable Mention and 47 were recipients of individual Sportsmanship Awards.

The following student-athletes are members of the Fall 2009 All-Academic Team. Please note the following representations: 1st = First Team All-CSAC, 2nd = Second Team All-CSAC, HM = Honorable Mention and S = Sportsmanship Award.

Volleyball Fall 2009 CSAC All-Academic Honorees

Yuki Arita, S, Sr., Art & Design, Tokyo, Japan
Erika Chu, Fr., Galloway, N.J.
Sydney Eggleston, Fr., Equine Studies, Spokane Wash.
Gina Inga, Jr., Criminal Justice, Sparta, N.J.
Elizabeth Luckenbill, Jr., Fashion Design, Schuykill, Pa.
Jelena Markovic, 2nd, Fr., Business Administration Finance, Brcko, Bosnia
Devon Paffendorf, So., Art & Design, Hackettstown, N.J.
Kesley Walter, So., Business Administration/Management, Hackettstown, N.J.

Fall 2009 CSAC All-Academic Team

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (December 10, 2009) Members of the Centenary Volleyball team volunteered to catalog and pack books that were donated to the athletic department as a part of the Ethiopia Reads charity program.

Ethiopia Reads was founded by Yohannes Gebregeorgis, a native of the country, to create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books. By planting libraries for children, creating culturally appropriate reading materials and training educators to nurture a love of books, Ethiopia Reads brings hope and educational skills to this generation of Ethiopians. The charity earned CNN’s 2008 Hero Award. For more information, log on to www.ethiopiareads.org.

CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. (November 3, 2009) – The Centenary women’s volleyball team fell at Baptist Bible in the quarterfinals of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament, 3-0, Tuesday night in Clarks Summit, Pa. Although each set was tightly contested, the fourth-seeded Defenders (14-12) were able to come away with the 25-17, 25-23 and 25-19 victory over the fifth-seeded Lady Cyclones (15-17). The game marked Centenary’s first playoff contest since 2004, when it was a member of the Skyline and Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic conferences.

“I thought we played well,” said head coach Dinu Dan. “We got away from some of the team strategy and tactics that we practiced, but the girls played hard. I am not upset about the loss. I thought we played the best we could. We are a young team, we had a great season and I expect we will be a force in the CSAC next year.”

BBC recorded 36 kills and 59 digs to Centenary’s 21 and 47, respectively. For the Lady Cyclones, freshman Jelena Markovic (Brcko, Bosnia/The Economic School) finished with a double-double, tallying 12 assists and 14 digs. She also recorded five kills. Sophomore Devon Paffendorf (Hackettstown, N.J./Mount Olive) racked up a team-high nine kills to give her an even 500 for her career. Fellow classmate Kelsey Walter (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) posted 13 digs, giving her 514 on the year, a career-high. Jessica White led Baptist Bible with 10 kills while also posting eight digs. The Defenders will next face top-seeded Cabrini, Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

BBC grabbed an early lead in the first set and did not look back, going on to win 25-17. Centenary came within one point three times, but the Defenders were able to hold off the Lady Cyclones for the eight-point victory. In the second set, the home team built a 13-6 lead before CC reeled off 12 straight points on the serve of sophomore Angelica Ruiz (Bergenfield, N.J./Bergenfield) to take an 18-13 edge. But BBC was able to regroup, finally tying the game at 20. The two teams traded points until, at 23-apiece, the Defenders won two consecutive points to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

In the third set, Baptist Bible grabbed the advantage early and did not let go. Trailing 23-13, Centenary went on a late run to get within six, at 23-17, but the two teams traded points and BBC won the set and the match, 25-19.

Centenary set program records this season, including regular-season wins (15) and conference victories (seven). The team returns all but two players next season, including Markovic, the CSAC Rookie of the Year.

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