PAC announces women's basketball all-conference teams, award winners

3/2/2022 1:00:00 PM

GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) announced its 2021-22 All-PAC Women’s Basketball teams and yearly award winners Wednesday afternoon.

The all-conference teams, as well as the PAC's yearly award winners, are determined, by vote, of the league’s 10 head coaches.

Westminster College junior guard Natalie Murrio (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Brentwood) was voted the PAC Player of the Year while Washington & Jefferson College junior forward Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa. | Forest Hills) was recognized as the PAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Bethany College freshman guard Lindsay Garrison (Triadelphia, W.Va. | Wheeling Park) collected the PAC Newcomer of the Year award and W&J 18th-year head coach Jina DeRubbo was honored as the PAC Coach of the Year. 

Murrio is Westminster's second all-time PAC Player of the Year selection (Desiree Sterling, 2006-07). She was named to the All-PAC Second Team in 2020-21. 

Murrio paces the PAC in scoring, averaging 17.3 points per game. Her scoring average ranks 70th in NCAA Division III. She ranks third in the league in free throw percentage (.799, 111-139), fourth in assists per game (3.1), seventh in field goal percentage (.448, 160-357), 11th in three-point field goals made (37, 1.4/g), 12th in rebounding average (7.1/g) and 15th in blocked shots per game (18, 0.7/g). Murrio scored 30 or more points twice and finished with 20 or more points nine times this season. She had five double-doubles, including a 32-point, 20-rebound effort in a 102-80 victory over Geneva College on December 11. 

Murrio averaged 17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game during second-seeded Westminster's run to the PAC Championship Tournament title game. It was Westminster's first title game appearance since 2009-10. 

Koeck started 23 games (26 appearances) this season, totaling 20 blocks and 24 steals. She has headlined W&J's defensive effort throughout the season, helping lead the Presidents to the league's second-best scoring defense, limiting opponents to 52.1 points per game. W&J led the PAC in field goal percentage defense and three-point field goal percentage defense, holding teams to just 33.0 percent shooting from the field and 32.6 percent from three-point range. The W&J defense stymied conference offenses throughout the regular season, leading the PAC in scoring defense (50.6/g), field goal percentage defense (.325) and three-point field goal defense (.241). 

Koeck is the first W&J player to earn the PAC's Defensive Player of the Year award since its introduction in 2014-15. 

Garrison is Bethany's third newcomer of the year award winner (Makenzee Mason, 2020-21; Kelsea Daugherty, 2014-15). She made 25 starts (26 appearances) this season. Garrison ranks third in the league in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game. She leads the PAC in free throw percentage (.876, 78-89), three-point field goal percentage (.377, 75-199) and made three-point field goals (75). Garrison also ranks third among conference counterparts in minutes played, averaging 32.8 per game. She scored 30 or more points twice and 20 or more points nine times this season. Garrison set Bethany's single-season program record for made three-point field goals this season and established a new single-game program record for made three-point field goals, hitting nine three-pointers in an 82-21 win at Penn State New Kensington on Nov. 16. 

Garrison ranks 17th in Division III in made three-point field goals (75), 22nd in three-point field goals made per game (2.88) and 32nd in three-point field goals attempted (199). Her 37.7 percent three-point field goal percentage ranks 46th in Division III. 


The coach of the year citation is DeRubbo's eighth. She led top-seeded W&J to the PAC Championship Tournament title Saturday night, its first in 16 seasons. DeRubbo's squad posted another 20-win season, its 13th since 2004-05, and finished the regular season 17-1 in PAC play. The 23 wins this season are one shy of a school record total.

DeRubbo has compiled a 479-198 record (.708) during her 25-year coaching career (18 at W&J, 7 at Bethany). She ranked 24th in career victories among active Division III coaches entering the 2021-22 season.

PAC Women's Basketball annual award winners
Player of the Year: Westminster junior guard Natalie Murrio (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Brentwood)
Defensive Player of the Year: W&J junior forward Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa. | Forest Hills)
Newcomer of the Year: Bethany freshman guard Lindsay Garrison (Triadelphia, W.Va. | Wheeling Park)
Coach of the Year: W&J 18th-year head coach Jina DeRubbo


2021-22 All-PAC Women's Basketball Teams
First Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Lindsay Garrison Bethany G Fr. Triadelphia, W.Va. | Wheeling Park
Allison Podkul Grove City F Sr. Greensburg, Pa. | Hempfield
Brooke Fuller Waynesburg C Sr. Allison Park, Pa. | Hampton
Camden Hergenrother Westminster G Jr. Salem, Ohio | Cardinal Mooney
Natalie Murrio Westminster G Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Brentwood
 
Second Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Julianna Skowron Chatham F Gr. Sewickley, Pa. | Oakland Catholic
Megan Kallock Grove City G Jr. Greensburg, Pa. | Greensburg-Salem
Meghan Dryburgh W&J G/F Fr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Baldwin
Kamryn Lach W&J G Sr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
Piper Morningstar W&J G Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | North Allegheny
 
Honorable Mentions
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Makenzee Mason Bethany G So. Lithopolis, Ohio | Bloom-Carroll
Ashleigh Wheeler Bethany G Fr. Quaker City, Ohio | Shenandoah
Emily Durkee Chatham G Fr. Elkridge, Md. | Howard
Madison Doan Franciscan C Fr. Escondido, Calif. | Saint Joseph Academy
Mia San Nicolas Geneva F Jr. Sinajana, Guam | Academy of Our Lady of Guam
Cynthia Stewart Geneva G So. Silver Springs, Md. | Paint Branch
Ella Marconi Saint Vincent F Jr. Kane, Pa. | Kane
Lindsay Bell Westminster F Jr. Youngstown, Ohio | Ursuline
 
PAC Sportsmanship Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown | High School
Taylor Stinnett Bethany F Sr. Barberton, Ohio | Barberton
Sierra McClain Chatham G Jr. Hollidaysburg, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
Natalie Conner Franciscan G So. Liberty Township, Ohio | Bishop Fenwick
Shannon Wolfe Geneva F Sr. Alliance, Ohio | West Branch
Mara Polczynski Grove City G Fr. Irwin, Pa. | Norwin
Lauren Gamble Saint Vincent G Sr. Pittsburgh, Pa. | Bishop Canevin
Colleen Trainer Thiel G Sr. Latrobe, Pa. | Mount Pleasant
Kamryn Lach W&J G Sr. Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
Madisen Dayton Waynesburg F Fr. Ridgeley, W.Va. | Calvary Christian Academy
Katie Fitzpatrick Westminster F So. Cumberland Center, Maine | Greely