BUTTE, Mont. -- Junior Niurka Toribio was named the Newcomer of the Year in the Frontier Conference and was joined by Lewis-Clark State College freshman Treneisha Doyle on the league’s All-Conference first team, which was announced Thursday night by commissioner Kent Paulson.
Senior right side hitter Brianne Brown was a second team selection, and freshman middle blocker Keisha Luebbert-Kennedy joined Doyle on the All-Freshman team.
The announcement was the centerpiece of the Frontier Conference’s annual awards banquet at the league tournament hosted by Montana Tech.
In the play-in game contested on Thursday, the Dickinson State Blue Hawks picked an opportune time to pick up their first win as a member of the Frontier Conference, defeating Montana Western in five sets.
DSU was 0-14 in conference play during the regular season, and earned a date with Lewis-Clark State at 11 a.m. Friday in a quarterfinal matchup.
LCSC beat Dickinson State in four sets at the Activity Center on Oct. 25 in the lone meeting between the teams this fall, behind a game-high 17 kills and 19 digs by Toribio.
Toribio, who came to the Warriors from Snow College via the Dominican Republic, was an instant force after being declared eligible for the team’s Sept. 13 win over Westminster.
A 6-foot-2 outside hitter, Toribio finished third on the team with 191 kills during the regular season, and hit .226 as the Warriors won the conference title with an 11-4 record.
She was second on the team with 165 digs and was dominant from the service line, ripping off 45 aces.
Doyle, a 5-foot-9 outside hitter, wowed LCSC fans with her explosive athletic ability during the 2012 season, and frustrated opponents with big kills in clutch situations.
The Vancouver, Wash. native totaled 182 kills on a .180 hitting percentage in her first collegiate season and chipped in 19 service aces.
Luebbert-Kennedy was a force in the middle for the Warriors, amassing 194 kills while swinging at an efficient .247 clip. She also contributed 18 blocks, just one off the team lead.
Montana Tech placed three players on the first team and Oredigger coach Brian Solomon, in his first season, was named Coach of the Year. University of Great Falls outside hitter Kelsey VanUden was named Player of the Year. Kimmy Kavran of Montana Tech was named Libero of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
First Team
Ellie Graff, Carroll College, Jr, MB; Bozeman, Mont.
Kathleen Mulligan, Carroll College, So, OH; Des Moines, Wash.
Treneisha Doyle, Lewis-Clark State, Fr., OH; Vancouver, Wash.
Niurka Toribio, Lewis-Clark State, Jr, OH; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Hillary Islefson, Montana State-Northern, Sr, OH; Carlyle, Saskatchewan
Abby Nicholas, Montana State-Northern, Jr, MB/RSH; Sandy, Utah
Shersteen Cline, Montana Tech, Sr, OH; Big Sandy, Mot.
Kimmy Kavran, Montana Tech, Fr, L; Missoula, Mont.
Korey Krumm, Montana Tech, So, MB; Anaconda, Mont.
Anna Dewald, Rocky Mountain College, So, MB; Windsor, Colo.
Kelsey VanUden, University of Great Falls, OH; Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Ashley Marchant, Westminster College, Sr, OH; Sandy, Utah
Second Team
Brianne Brown, Lewis-Clark State College, Sr, RS; Spokane, Wash.
Holly Cartwright, Montana State-Northern, Jr, L; Havre, Mont.
Jamie Elenbaas, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, L; Billings, Mont.
Esther Timofeyev, Rocky Mountain College, Sr, MB; Moses Lake, Wash.
Alyssa McEwan, University of Great Falls, So, MB; Bountiful, Utah
Emily Atkinson, Westminster College, Jr, S; Salt Lake City, Utah
All-Freshman Team
Rebecca Sweeny, Carroll College, Fr, OH; Des Moines, Wash.
Treneisha Doyle, Lewis-Clark State, Fr, OH; Vancouver, Wash.
Keisha Kennedy, Lewis-Clark State, Fr, MB; Vancouver, Wash.
Kimmy Kavran, Montana Tech, Fr, L; Missoula, Mont.
Brea Mitchell, Montana Western, Fr, MB; Pocatello, Idaho
Ahlea Billis, Rocky Mountain College, Fr, MB; Bozeman, Mont.
