Iona's Joy Adams Named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – Iona College senior forward Joy Adams has been named the 2015-16 MAAC Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year and headlines the Preseason All-MAAC First Team, as voted upon by the league’s 11 head coaches.
Adams, a unanimous selection to the preseason first team, was fourth in the MAAC with 14.2 points per game last season. The senior led the conference with 12.6 total rebounds, 7.6 defensive rebounds, and 5.0 offensive rebounds per game in 2014-15. She ranked second in steals with 2.2 per game, and was third in minutes played, averaging 35.2 minutes per game last season.
Joining Adams on the first team is Fairfield University’s junior forward Casey Smith, Marist College’s Sydney Coffey and Tori Jarosz, and Niagara University’s Victoria Rampado.
Fairfield’s 6-2 redshirt junior forward Casey Smith was a six-time MAAC Rookie of the Week in her first season with the Stags. Smith averaged 11.9 points per game and shot 44.1 percent from the field. Smith was a 2014-15 member of the MAAC All-Rookie Team and a member of the All-MAAC Third Team. She is the first player in Fairfield program history to be selected to both of those teams in the same season.
Marist’s senior Sydney Coffey, was a member of the 2014-15 All-MAAC Third Team. Coffey was sixth in the MAAC with a 77.7 free throw percentage and ranked ninth with 12.6 points per game last season. Coffey was ninth in the conference in three point field goal percentage, shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Coffey’s teammate, Tori Jarosz will be back in uniform for Marist this season. Jarosz led the MAAC with 2.6 blocks per game and averaged 17.1 points per game, which put her second overall in the conference. The 6-3 center secured 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the field, ranking third in the MAAC in field goal percentage. Jarosz was second in the MAAC with 13 double-doubles for the Red Foxes.
Rounding out the 2015-16 All-MAAC preseason team is Victoria Rampado of Niagara University. The 6-2 junior from Niagara Falls, Ontario was named to the All-MAC Second Team in 2014-15 after the Purple Eagles forward averaged 12.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Rampado was top ten in the MAAC in points, rebounds and free-throw percentage, shooting 74.8 percent from the line. Her 44.2 field goal percentage was 12th best in the MAAC last season.
Members of the preseason second team include Fairfield University’s senior Kristin Schatzlein, Iona College senior Aaliyah Robinson, Rider University junior Robin Perkins, Saint Peter’s University sophomore Sajanna Bethea and the Siena College duo of junior Meghan Donohue and sophomore Margot Hetzke.
The preseason third team features Canisius College senior Tiahana Mills, Iona College junior Marina Lizarazu, Manhattan College senior Shayna Ericksen, Monmouth University senior Sarah Olson and Quinnipiac University junior Maria Napolitano.
2015-16 Preseason All-MAAC Teams
First Team
Casey Smith, Fairfield, R-Jr., F, 6-2, Danbury, CT
Joy Adams, Iona, Sr., F, 5-11, Orlando, FL*
Sydney Coffey, Marist, Sr., G, 6-0, Hopkins, MN
Tori Jarosz, Marist, 6 yr. Sr., C, 6-3, Cortlandt Manor NY
Victoria Rampado, Niagara, Jr., F, 6-2, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Second Team
Kristin Schatzlein, Fairfield, Sr., G, 6-0, Tolland, CT
Aaliyah Robinson, Iona, Sr., G, 5-9, Brandford, CT
Robin Perkins, Rider, Jr., G, 5-10, Willingboro, NJ
Sajanna Bethea, Saint Peter’s, So., F, 5-11, Levittown, PA
Meghan Donohue, Siena, Jr., F, 6-1, Mogadore, OH
Margot Hetzke, Siena, So., F, 5-11, Penfield, NY
Third Team
Tiahana Mills, Canisius, Sr., G, 5-5, Binghamton, NY
Marina Lizarazu, Iona, Jr., G, 5-8, Madrid, Spain
Shayna Ericksen, Manhattan, Sr., F, 6-0, Long Valley, NJ
Sarah Olson, Monmouth, Sr., G/F, 5-8, Freehold, NJ
Maria Napolitano, Quinnipiac, Jr., G, 5-9, Cincinnati, OH
Preseason Player of the Year
Joy Adams, Iona
*Denotes unanimous selection