LOUDONVILLE, NY – In celebration of its Ruby Anniversary throughout the 2020-21 academic year, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will be unveiling its 40th Anniversary Teams this summer to highlight some of the league's all-time great student athletes and coaches from the 24 sports in which the league crowns champions. The MAAC 40th Anniversary Volleyball Team features five Siena legends in Taylor Akana, Lesli Akeo, April London, Kristin May, Burgandy McCurty, and coach Hank Wysocki.
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"We are proud at the MAAC to be celebrating excellence both on and off the field for 40 years," said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. "It's a true testament to all of the coaches, administrators, and student-athletes who have made this possible over the last four decades. Their hard work and dedication has made the MAAC what it is today; a conference that celebrates their outstanding efforts in 24 unique championships every year. I'd like to thank all of those people who have played a part in shaping the MAAC into what it is today. Despite the challenges presented in the current climate with the COVID-19 pandemic, the future of the MAAC is strongly cemented in the commonality of our member institutions and commitment to the mission of the conference."
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Taylor Akana (2010-13)
Akana owns second place all-time in Kills (1,700) and Points (1,876.5) in program history. That would lead her to the 2011 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year, one year after winning MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2010. She is a three-time All-MAAC First Team selection, and was the 2014 MAAC Nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year. In addition, Akana is fifth all-time in digs (1,370).
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Lesli Akeo (2007-10)
A 2018 Siena Hall of Fame inductee, Akeo won 2012 MAAC Libero of the Year honors. She was named MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, and was the MAAC Nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2013. Akeo is the all-time program leader in digs with 2,285, and is the only player in program history with over 2,000 digs. She set a single-season record in digs with 788 in 2012, and was selected All-MAAC First Team that season.
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April London (2005-08)
The program's all-time leader in many categories and a 2014 Siena Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee, London is the program's all-time leader in both sets played and matches played. As a two-time MAAC Setter of the Year, she is the all-time assists leader by a wide margin racking up 5,456 total assists. In addition, she is the all-time leader with 11.21 assists per set and service aces with 221 total service aces. London also ranks fourth all-time in attack percentage with a .295 percentage.
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Kristin May (1993-96)
One of the first MAAC Offensive Players of the Year in program history in 1994, May currently sits third all-time in program history with 1,464 kills. She was the program's first MAAC Rookie of the Year in 1993, and was a three-time All-MAAC Honoree. May earned MAAC All-Tournament honors three years in a row between 1994 and 1996, and was inducted into the Siena Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006. May also got it done in the classroom, earning CoSIDA District I All-America Third Team honors in 1995.
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Burgandy McCurty (2006-09)
A first-ballot Siena Hall of Fame selection in 2015, McCurty is the program's all-time leader in kills (1945), kills per-set (4.27), attack percentage (.353), points (2194) and points per-set (4.82). She also own the single-season records for each of those categories, and put forth the second most kills in a single season in MAAC history (575) in 2005, as well as the second best hitting percentage in league history (.427) in 2007. McCurty was the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year three times (2007-09) and a First Team All-MAAC selection in all four years as a Saint.
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Coach Hank Wysocki (1983-99)
Wysocki was the head Coach at Siena from 1983-99, coaching in the MAAC from 1990-99. He coached Saints to MAAC Championship titles in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996, with his team advancing to the NIT in 1993 and NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Wysocki led the Saints to their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 3-1 win over Colgate in the 1995 NCAA play-in match. He finished his career with a 46-26 (.639) MAAC record and coached seven CoSIDA District I Academic All-Americans, three MAAC Offensive Player of the Year recipients and one MAAC Rookie of the Year. He was named the 1995 MAAC coach of the Year.
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The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members: the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College and Saint Peter's College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981, with the charter members competing in the sports of men's cross country and men's soccer. On January 2, 1982, Army traveled to Iona for the first MAAC men's basketball game and the MAAC story had begun. Siena College first joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in select sports beginning with the 1989-90 academic year, and currently sponsors 21 athletic programs which compete in the MAAC.
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The MAAC is currently comprised of 11 full time member institutions and 17 associate members, crowning champions in 24 sports. Current members include Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.
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Stay up to date with all MAAC 40th Anniversary initiatives by using #MAAC40.
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