Beckwith named ECAC New England Coach of the Year, Clark earns second team honors

ECAC New England All Region Volleyball Release

North Adams, MA- The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced the 2015 Volleyball New England All-Star teams.  The MCLA Volleyball program was well represented with head coach Amanda Beckwith garnering the nod for the region's Coach of the Year, while Junior outside hitter Allison Clark was named to the second team.

The honors mark the first time in program history that the Trailblazers have been represented on the ECAC New England teams.  

The Trailblazer program had a historic 2015 season that included hosting the MASCAC and ECAC tournament finals, along with setting a program record for victories.  Beckwith's troops rattled off 13 straight wins, another program record, spanning most of September and early October. Coach Beckwith led MCLA to a 24-11 mark over the course of the season and was grateful for the opportunities that the season provided.

"It was an honor to coach such a talented and dynamic team this past fall and I'm very proud of all the program accomplished this season," Beckwith said reflecting upon the honor.  The tenth year head coach was also named the MASCAC coach of the year earlier this season after leading the team to the regular season title.

Another integral piece to the historic season was the presence of junior transfer Allison Clark. The talented outside hitter did it all for MCLA in 2015 and was rewarded by her second team All New England selection.

Clark transferred into MCLA from Foothill Community College in California and immediately paid dividends. She set a school record for kills in a season with 470 and was a first team All MASCAC selection during the regular season.  Twice she was named the conference's player of the week.  She was also third on the team amassing 363 digs to complement her offensive game.

Clark amassed double digit kills in 28 contests this past season, including a season best 26 in a MASCAC playoff win over Bridgewater State.  She amassed 16 double doubles on the season and saved her best for last earning them in all postseason contests in 2015.

Clark's performances this season didn't go unnoticed and drew some high praise from Coach Beckwith;  "I'm very happy to have had Allison join us and lead us this fall on the court.  Her hard work, competitiveness and passion for the sport helped our program get to the next level this fall.  It was a pleasure to coach her," Beckwith stated.

With so much to build on in 2016 including the return of Clark, Beckwith and her program will be poised to remain a force in the region and the conference.