2005 NEWMAC Women's Volleyball Awards Announced
WORCESTER, Mass. – Smith College senior Kate Sorensen (Kelso, WA) claimed Athlete of the Year honors while Coast Guard's Nicole Gurr (Acton, CA) earned Rookie of the Year accolades at the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) postseason meeting for women's volleyball. Smith’s head coach Bonnie May was also voted Coach of the Year by the NEWMAC coaches.

Smith’s outside hitter Kate Sorensen finished the year as the NEWMAC leader in digs with 6.3 per game, and ranked second in kills with an average of 4.3 while hitting 21.6%. She was also a key factor during the NEWMAC tournament, helping the Pioneers clinch the championship title for the first time since 1988. Nicole Gurr, a first-year at Coast Guard, led the league with 4.6 kills per game and hit 23.8% for the year to help the Bears finish third in NEWMAC regular-season play.

Under the direction of head coach Bonnie May, No. 4 seed Smith upset No. 1 MIT and No. 3 Coast Guard to win the conference championship last weekend and advance to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships.

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Kate Sorensen, Smith

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Nicole Gurr, Coast Guard

COACH OF THE YEAR
Bonnie May, Smith