McMahon and Braun Named First Team All-American

Alfred State College sophomores Brianne McMahon (Buffalo/Sweet Home) and Elaina Braun (Waterloo) have been named 1st team NJCAA Division III All-Americans. It is the first time in at least 30 years that A-State has had a 1st team All-American and the first time in school history that two members of the volleyball team were named All-American in the same year.

Head Coach Gene Doorley (5 seasons, 106-55) knows that these honors were earned based on commitment to the program at Alfred State. "The honors and success that these young ladies have garnished are true testaments to their focus and commitment to learning and improving. These young ladies, with their fellow teammates have put endless hours into practice and their year-round training. It's always rewarding to have your players receive recognition when it is so well deserved. The time, energy and countless hours that these young ladies have put in truly make these awards special."

McMahon repeats as an All-American after being named an honorable mention All-American in 2006. During the 2007 season, McMahon finished with 435 kills (25.68 % hitting efficiency and 4.1 kills/game), 467 digs (4.4 digs/game), and 76 service aces. Nationally, McMahon finished 3rd in the nation in kills/game, 10th in digs/game, and 17th in hitting efficiency.

In 22 matches this season McMahon recorded more than 10 kills with her high of 20 coming in a victory over Monroe CC on September 25. She recorded more than 10 digs in 19 matches and recorded a season high 35 in a victory over Jamestown CC on October 9. On 16 occasions she recorded double-doubles (over 10 kills and 10 digs), including the last six postseason matches.

For her career she finishes with 612 kills (3.6/game), 679 digs (3.9/game), and 121 aces (.7/game) in 172 games. She was named the Region III Division III Player of the Year twice, 1st team All-Region twice, and 1st team All-WNYAC twice. In Tournament play, she was named MVP of the Region III Division III Tournament in 2007, MVP of the Mohawk Valley CC Tournament twice, MVP of the ASC Invitational, and All-Tournament at the Onondaga CC and Jefferson CC Touranments.

"Bree has been a vocal leader and a big impact on the court. Her passion for volleyball and her determination to succeed has been a great part of our success over the past two years. She truly deserves this award. She was in the top two of most of our major statistical areas."

Braun played in 106 of the team's 109 games this season. She passed out 1,171 assists (11.04/game), collected 264 digs (2.49/game), 127 kills (30.3 % hitting efficiency and 1.2 kills/game), and 54 service aces. Nationally, she is 2nd in assists/game and 25th in hitting efficiency.

In all 41 matches she played in, Braun passed out more than 10 assists. In 35 matches she had more than 20 assists, in 16 matches she had more than 30 assists, in seven matches she had more than 40 assists, and in a five game victory over Corning CC on October 4, she passed out 58 assists. She also recorded seven double-doubles (over 10 assists and 10 digs) including four in the Pioneers postseason run.

For her career she finishes with 371 kills (1.8/game), 1,623 assists (8/game), 431 digs (2.1/game), and 94 aces (.47/game) in 204 games. During her career at A-State, Braun has been named 1st team All-Region, 2nd team All-WNYAC, MVP of the '06 Alfred State Tournament, and All-Tournament at both the Region III Championships and the Onondaga CC Tournament. She was also honored by the NJCAA as the setter of the week on Oct. 17.

"It is truly rewarding and amazing to have Elaina named All-American. Elaina was a middle hitter when she arrived at Alfred State and was very willing to do whatever she could to help this team be as strong as it could be. We ran a 6-2 system last year and a 5-1 system this year. Elaina worked very hard and her ability to learn quickly and stay focused on the big picture was very evident. We had a very balanced attack this year, much improved from last year, thanks to the great improvement of Elaina from a skill stand point and from a decision making standpoint.

"These awards are great individual recognition but even more importantly, I see them as a great indication of what this team has accomplished as a whole."

McMahon and Braun helped ASC to a 36-6 record. The team qualified for the school's first trip to the NJCAA National Championships in 30 years where they finished tied for 5th in the country. A-State also was crowned Region III Division III Champion and winners of the ASC, Onondaga CC, and Mohawk Valley CC Tournaments. The team was also a fixture in the NJCAA Division III poll all year and reached as high as #5 in the rankings.

For their two years at Alfred State, McMahon and Braun along with fellow sophomore teammates Shannon Jablonski (Cheektowaga) and Natalie Gregory (Iroquois) finished with a 69-9 record.