PRINCETON, N.J. -- Following a campaign that saw Brown earn its first Ivy League volleyball title since 2001, the league announced the All-Ivy teams and major award winners Thursday.
The Bears earned a major awards sweep. Brown sophomore setter
Cierra Jenkins was voted the Player of the Year, freshman libero
Victoria Vo earned the Defensive Player of the Year award, freshman middle blocker
Beau Vanderlaan was named the Rookie of the Year and
Ahen Kim was tabbed the Coach of the Year. Vo, Vanderlaan and Kim were unanimous selections.
Jenkins paced the Brown attack, which boasted a league-leading .262 hitting percentage during conference play. The Orlando, Fla., native was second in the league in assists per set with an average of 10.47. She also proved to be one of the top defensive setters in the conference with three digs per set which ranked second amongst setters.
Vo started in every match as a freshman. She led the league in digs per set (5.22) and total digs (266). Largely in part of her efforts, the Bears were atop the Ivy League in team digs per set (17.25) and opponent hitting percentage (.166).
Vanderlaan also started every match this season. The Oak Park, Ill., native was second in the league in hitting percentage with a mark of .410. She was a crucial part of Brown’s offensive attack, as she was the only middle blocker in the top 10 for kills per set. Vanderlaan was third in the league in blocks per set with an average of 1.18.
Kim, in his fourth year at the helm of the program, guided the Bears to their most league wins in Ivy League history. Brown finished the league slate with a record of 13-1, with its lone setback coming to Yale in five sets. Since that loss, the Bears have won 18 consecutive sets.
All eight teams had representation on the All-Ivy teams. The All-Ivy First Team consisted of student-athletes from Brown and Princeton. The Bears placed five players on the first team and the Tigers took the other spots.
Junior outside hitters
Sophia Miller and sophomore opposite hitter
Kate Sheire joined Vanderlaan, Jenkins and Vo as the Bears first team representatives. Miller was fifth in the league in kills per set (3.14) and Sheire ranked third (3.49). Jenkins was the lone unanimous first team selection.
Princeton’s two first team sections were junior opposite hitter
Avery Luoma and junior outside hitter
Elena Montgomery. Luoma was fourth in the league in points per set with an average of 3.70, while Montgomery was second in the category at 4.24. The Tigers had two second team selections in senior middle blocker
Julia Schner and junior setter
Lindsey Kelly. Junior libero
Cameron Dames was named to the honorable mention team.
Dartmouth was represented with a pair of second team selections in sophomore outside hitter
Ellie Blain and freshman libero
Emma Engstrom. Rounding out the second team were Columbia junior outside hitter
Noelle Foster, Penn junior outside hitter
Autumn Leak and Cornell senior middle blocker
Casey Justus.
Harvard had a trio of players earn honorable mention nods. Junior right side hitter
Jaime Rao, sophomore outside hitter
Katie Vorhies and sophomore middle hitter
Olivia Cooper were the Crimson’s representatives. Yale had a pair earn honorable mention in freshman setter
Carly Diehl and senior outside hitter
Kathryn Attar. Cornell senior right side hitter
Jillienne Bennett rounded out the honorable mention.
Additionally, one Ivy League volleyball student-athlete from each institution was recognized for their commitment in the classroom and on the court as members of the 2021 Ivy League Volleyball Academic All-Ivy team. Brown sophomore
Kate Sheire, Columbia senior
Emily Teehan, Cornell senior
Casey Justus, Dartmouth senior
Emma Moffett, Harvard junior
Jaimie Rao, Penn senior
Margaret Planek, Princeton senior
Julia Schner and Yale sophomore
Maile Somera were each named to the team.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cierra Jenkins, Brown (So., S – Orlando, Fla.)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Victoria Vo, Brown (Fr., L – Wylie, Texas)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
* Beau Vanderlaan, Brown (Fr., MB – Oak Park, Ill.)
COACH OF THE YEAR
* Ahen Kim, Brown
FIRST TEAM ALL-IVY
Sophia Miller, Brown (Jr., OH – Dallas, Texas)
Elena Montgomery, Princeton (Jr., OH – Franklin Lakes, N.J.)
Kate Sheire, Brown (So., OPP – Arlington, Va.)
Avery Luoma, Princeton (Jr., OPP – Phoenix, Ariz.)
Beau Vanderlaan, Brown (Fr., MB – Oak Park, Ill.)
* Cierra Jenkins, Brown (So., S – Orlando, Fla.)
Victoria Vo, Brown (Fr., L – Wylie, Texas)
SECOND TEAM ALL-IVY
Noelle Foster, Columbia (Jr., OH – Ashburn, Va.)
Ellie Blain, Dartmouth (So., OH – Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)
Autumn Leak, Penn (Jr., OH – Englewood, N.J.)
Julia Schner, Princeton (Sr., MB – Boca Raton, Fla.)
Casey Justus, Cornell (Sr., MB – Raleigh, N.C.)
Lindsey Kelly, Princeton (Jr., S – Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Emma Engstrom, Dartmouth (Fr., L – Danville, Calif.)
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-IVY
Jaimie Rao, Harvard (Jr., RS – Toronto, Ontario)
Jillienne Bennett, Cornell (Sr., RS – Chicago, Ill.)
Katie Vorhies, Harvard (So., OH – Ozark, Mo.)
Kathryn Attar, Yale (Sr., OH – Tampa, Fla.)
Olivia Cooper, Harvard (So., MH – Kentfield, Calif.)
Carly Diehl, Yale (Fr., S – San Diego, Calif.)
Cameron Dames, Princeton (Jr., L – Atlanta, Ga.)
*Unanimous Selection