Wilson, Fletcher, Furman, and Munsell will compete in all-star games
WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - Eastern Connecticut State University volleyball player Katie Wilson (Pittsburg, CA) and men's soccer players Bradley Fletcher (Middletown), Matt Furman (Montville) and Jordan Munsell (Waterford) have been selected to participate in their respective upcoming New England Division III senior all-star games.
Wilson, a 6-foot-2 inch middle hitter, is one of 35 selections to the New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) Senior Classic, while Fletcher, Furman and Munsell are among 43selections to the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League (NEISL) All-Star Game.
At left: Bradley Fletcher
The soccer showcase is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. at Harvard University. The volleyball all-star game is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 2 at noon at Babson College. A skills and drills competition (10 a.m.) and lunch (11:30 a.m.) will precede the game.
A total of 23 different institutions are represented in both the volleyball and soccer all-star games. The Little East Conference will be represented with four selections from four institutions at the volleyball game and six conference players representing three institutions will compete in the soccer match.
Wilson becomes the 23rd Eastern selection to the volleyball all-star game since 1987 - second in as many years under head coach Peter Maneggia. The selections of Fletcher, a defender, Furman, a forward, and Munsell, a keeper, bring to 18 - eight in six years under head coach Greg DeVito-- the number of Eastern players tabbed to the soccer all-star game.
At right: Jordan Munsell
This past season, Wilson ranked third in NCAA Division III with an average of 5.40 points per set and 11th with an average of 4.21 kills per set. She led the conference in points (626.5) and points per set, kills (488) and kills per set, was second in attack percentage (.302), and tied for fifth in service aces per set (0.53). The first-team All-LEC selection concluded her three-year Eastern career as one of eight players all-time with at least 1,000 kills (8th/1,007) and ranked fifth all-time in attack percentage (.286). She became only the second player in program history with as many as 1,000 kills and 100 block solos (107).
Wilson totaled at least 20 kills in five of the last six matches of her career, attacking at .346 in that final stretch, averaging 52 attempts per match, and posting a career-high 30 kills Oct. 20 against Salve Regina University.
Behind Wilson, Eastern won 19 and lost 14 and qualified for its first post-season tournament since 2007 with a berth in the ECAC New England Division III Tournament.
At right: Katie Wilson
The three NEISL selections mark the most in a season for Eastern in program history (its first selections came in 1986 when all players were eligible to compete, not just seniors). Behind these players, Eastern won a program-record 17 matches against two losses and a tie, claimed its third LEC post-season and third LEC regular-season title in four years and was ranked fourth in New England and 24th nationally in the final regular-season ratings.
This past year's Little East Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year and a first-team All-LEC pick, Fletcher averaged a team-leading 91.6 minutes per match, and with Munsell, was the anchor of a defense which gave up only 15 goals (more than one in a match only three times) and led the LEC in least goals allowed per game (0.75), goals-against average (0.73) and shutouts (9).
At left: Matt Furman
In his first season as a starter, Munsell started 19 of 20 matches and figured in all 20 decisions. He topped the LEC in goals-against average (0.69) and shutouts (8) and was second in save percentage (.829). In mid-October, he started four straight matches which ended up as shutouts and stopped a career-high nine shots in the NCAA tournament loss to St. Lawrence University in his collegiate finale.
Furman was the team leader in goals (13) and points (31) for the third time in his four-year career, serving as the conference leader in both of those departments en route to conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year and first-team all-LEC honors. Four goals were game-winners for Furman, who had points in ten of 12 matches at one point after going scoreless in the first four matches of the year. He left the program with 38 goals, 22 assists and 98 points, fifth all-time in the latter category.
Fletcher and Furman both achieved All-LEC status for the third time in their respective careers.
