BUFFALO, N.Y. - Fairfield University freshman Brianna Dixion (Long Beach, Calif./Los Alamitos) was selected as the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Year while senior Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) was named First Team All-MAAC. Dixion, along with sophomore setter Lauren Balmert (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) picked up All-MAAC Second Team honors as well as announced by the league at the pre-championship banquet.

Dixion has had a strong debut for the Stags and is eighth in the MAAC kills per set (3.05 kills) and points per set (3.59). She is also averaging 2.43 digs per set along with 62 total blocks. Dixion, who hasn't missed a set all year, has nine double-doubles this season and has recorded double-digit kills in 20 of the 30 matches in which she has played. She nearly missed a triple-double in the regular season finale against Iona, finishing with 12 kills, a career-high 19 digs, and a career best nine assists. Dixion was named MAAC Rookie of the Week on two occasions and MAAC Offensive Player of the Week once. She also earned spots on the Yale Invitational and Army Invitational All-Tournament teams. Fairfield's last claim to a MAAC Rookie of the Year came in 2004 when Lindsey Lee earned the honor.

Mann's selection to the All-MAAC First Team was her third consecutive. The middle blocker leads the league in attack percentage (.364) and is fourth in points per set (4.30). Her 3.63 kills per set is sixth in the MAAC. She also leads the Stags with 81 total blocks. She was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week five times this season, including four-straight between Sept. 28 and Oct. 19. Mann, who has never missed a single set in the last four years, has had a storied career at Fairfield, helping the Stags to four MAAC Regular Season Championships. She will leave Fairfield ranked among the top-ten in eight different categories. She is the record-holder in the block assists (341) and is currently ranked first in attack percentage (.361). She is second in total blocks (406) and third in kills (1,472) and is the only Stag to have accrued 400 or more total blocks and more than 1,400 during their career. In addition, she is fifth in sets played (458), eighth in aces (130) and block solos (55), and ninth in matches played (129).

Balmert picks up her first All-MAAC accolade after averaging 9.28 assists per set, a mark that is good for fourth in the conference. Balmert is also averaging 1.98 digs along with 41 blocks. Balmert has had nine double-doubles this season, including six in her final nine matches of the regular season. She was named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week back on Oct. 26. Balmert has collected 2,164 assists in the last two seasons with the Stags, a mark which is good for fifth all-time at Fairfield.

Mann and Balmert along with sophomores Kendal Dirkin (Oak Park, Ill.) and Amanda Steiger (Cary, Ill.) were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team. It was the third selection for Mann while Balmert, Dirkin, and Steiger earn their first nods. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.  Earlier this month, Balmert was named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 1 Second Team.

Siena's Burgandy McCurty was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year while Niagara's Hannah Hedrick was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year. Niagara's Michelle James was chosen as the Setter of the Year while Iona's Allison Nieters earned Libero of the Year honors.

Fairfield, winners of 17 of its last 19, heads into the 2009 MAAC Championship as the top seed. The Stags (19-11; 16-2 MAAC) will face off with fourth-seeded Marist College in the semifinals on Sunday, November 22, at 1pm.

2009 All-MAAC First Team

2009 All-MAAC Second Team