FAIRMONT — Fairmont State’s Ashley Vavrek headlines a trio of Lady Falcons who garnered honors on the annual All-West Virginia Conference Women’s Basketball Team, which was selected by the league’s 16 head coaches and announced Sunday by the conference.
Vavrek, a 5-8 senior guard from Bellaire, Ohio, was named to the league’s first-team unit for the second straight year after finishing the regular season as one of the top scorers in both the WVC and the nation with a 20.8 average.
Varek, who was one of three repeat members on the first-team unit, led Fairmont State in scoring in 18 of its 27 games this season. She reached double figures in scoring in 26 of the Lady Falcons’ 27 games and had a season-high of 41 points in a recent road victory over Pitt-Johnstown.
Vavrek also led FSU in made 3-pointers (69) steals (60), averaged 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and shot 81.7 percent from the foul line (165-of-202).
FSU’s Rachel Murray and Kaitlin Snyder also received honors on the team. Murray, a 6-3 junior center from Gloucester, Mass., was named honorable mention, while Snyder, a 5-7 point guard from Sissonville, was selected to the five-member All-Freshman Team.
Murray led the Lady Falcons and the league in both rebounding (9.4 per game) and blocked shots (82). Her 82 blocks established a new single-season record at FSU. She also averaged 9.3 points, shot 55.0 percent from the field (104-of-189), dished out 33 assists and recorded 32 steals.
Snyder was second on the team in scoring with a 10.6 average and led the team in assists with an average of 2.9 per outing. She also grabbed 3.0 rebounds per game, recorded 48 steals and sank 33 3-pointers.
Glenville State senior guard Donita Adams was named the WVC’s Player of the Year. She led the conference in scoring with a 22.4 average despite averaging just 21.3 minutes played per game. She also leads the WVC in free throw percentage (.831) and made free throws (147), while rating eighth in steals (2.1) and 21st in rebounds (6.0).
Davis & Elkins’ guard Shalisa Hill was named the conference’s Freshman of the Year. Hill led D&E (14-13) to the school's most victories since the 2000-01 Lady Senators finished 15-13. The Carney's Point, N.J. native led the Lady Senators in scoring (14.4), rebounding (5.7), assists (3.6), and steals (3.1).
West Virginia Wesleyan’s Steve Tierney was named the conference’s Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bobcats to their first-ever league regular-season championship.
Seton Hill's Katie Lintner and West Liberty’s Tori Hansen join Vavrek as repeat selections on this season's first-team All-WVC squad. Hansen was the league’s player of the year last season. Pitt Johnstown’s Sheena Aden and Seton Hill’s Jordan Burkes move up from the 2008-09 all-conference second-team unit, while Adams, West Virginia State’s Alixandria Barnette, Wesleyan’s Lydia Bridenbaugh and Charleston’s Lindsey Kentner comprise the remainder of the nine-player, first-team squad for 2009-10.
The second-team unit consists of D&E’s Hill, Concord’s Camisha Alexander and Jolysa Brown, Wheeling Jesuit’s Kourtney Booth, Pitt-Johnstown’s Andrea Dalton, Charleston’s Tarenna Dixon, Glenville State’s Kristen Golden and Shepherd’s Camille Wilmer.
Joining Murray in receiving honorable mention were Wesleyan’s Danae Hill and Angela Tassari, West Liberty’s Laura Malernee and Andi Winney, Alderson-Broaddus’ Tori Charley and Shepherd’s Jerica Hewett.
Hill and Snyder are joined on the All-Freshman Team by Glenville State’s Ginny Petties, West Liberty’s Jenni Robbins and Wheeling Jesuit’s Chrissy Pavlik.
