CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (11/17/09) – Colgate’s Kaylee Dougherty (Landisville, Pa.) and Casey Ritt (Colorado Springs, Colo.) were named as first team all-Patriot League honorees, as the league office announced its end of season volleyball awards, Tuesday afternoon.
Ritt, a repeat first team honoree, finished the regular season with 213 kills and 100 blocks. The junior heads into the Patriot League Tournament with eight matches of 10 or more kills and has posted eight performances of five or more blocks. Two of her top efforts of the year include a season-high 14 kills and seven blocks in a four-set loss to Albany and an 11-kill, career-high 10-block effort as the Raiders rallied to post a five set victory over Binghamton. Ritt’s .266 hitting efficiency ranks seventh in the league, while her 0.98 blocks per set is second overall. Against league competition, she hit .278 and tallied .92 blocks per set.
Dougherty, a middle blocker, earns her first Patriot League team selection. The sophomore is ranked among the league leaders in hitting percentage and blocking. In 26 matches, Dougherty tallied 204 kills and 76 blocks on the year. She posted nine matches of 10 or more kills and had seven outings of five or more kills. In two efforts versus league rival Holy Cross, she tallied 24 kills on 39 attacks for a .590 hitting percentage. Dougherty recorded a career-high nine blocks (two solo and seven block assists) in a five-set loss to Siena on September 12. Her .369 hitting percentage against Patriot opponents is second in the league rankings, while her 0.85 blocks per game is sixth. She heads into the tournament as one of the hottest hitters in the league. In her last five performances, she is hitting at a .520 clip (58 kills, 8 errors, 96 attacks). Dougherty was named the Patriot League player of the week on November 9 for her efforts versus Lehigh and Lafayette.
In addition to the two first team selections, Colgate placed Kaleigh Durket (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) on the second team. The freshman posted 17 matches of 10 or more kills and had 11 double doubles on the year. Durket finished the regular season with a .250 hitting percentage, 316 kills, 243 digs, 49 blocks and 31 service aces. She ranked fifth in the Patriot League in kills per game (3.06) and seventh in aces per game (0.31). Once named the league rookie of the week (10/5) and player of the week (10/12), Durket posted a season-best 20-kill performance versus Harvard and had a season-best 15 digs against Long Island U. However, her highlight of the season came on October 3, as she hit .520 with 13 kills and posted five blocks as the Raiders snapped an 18-match losing skid to the Eagles in four sets.
"I am extremely proud of Casey, Kaylee, and Kaleigh. This is a testament to all of their hard work throughout the off-season and regular season,” said Colgate head coach Ryan Baker. “They would be the first to tell you that these awards are in large part due to their teammate’s efforts and daily contributions as well."
Colgate, 15-12 overall, travels to West Point this weekend to participate in the Patriot League Tournament. The Raiders, who are already guaranteed of their third consecutive winning season under Baker, will square off against second-seeded American in the opening round.