March 6, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

OREM, Utah - Utah Valley's Robyn Fairbanks has been named the Division I Independent Women's Basketball Player of the Year for the second straight season, Savannah State's Ivy Smith was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year and NJIT's Jessica Gerald earned Newcomer of the Year in a vote by head coaches and sports information/media relations directors at nine Division I independent schools.

Wolverine head coach Cathy Nixon was named the Coach of the Year for the first time while Sandy Marvin earned first team honors alongside Fairbanks and Julie McMurray was named to the second team.

Fairbanks, who was the unanimous choice for the player of the year, leads all independents in points (24.0 ppg), rebounds (10.0 rpg), field goal percentage (.579) and blocks (1.3) while leading the Wolverines to a school-record 16 wins.

She ranks fourth nationally in scoring, 16th in rebounding and 13th in field goal percentage. She has 12 double-doubles on the year, including 17 points and a Cameron Indoor Stadium record 20 rebounds in a game at #14 Duke. She has also scored 30 points or more five times, including 39 in a win over Seton Hall.

Fairbanks, a five-time Player of the Week winner this season, received 140 out of a possible 140 votes for inclusion on the All-Independent First Team. She has now been on named first team All-Independent in each of her first three seasons at Utah Valley.

Marvin is ranked fourth among independents with 16.3 points per game. She earned independent Player of the Week one time and was also named the MVP of the Air Force Classic in early December.

McMurray ranks fifth in scoring at 14.9 per contest and ranks third three-point percentage (.434) and is fourth in both field goal (.495) and free-throw percentage (.797).

Also included on the first team is Jasmin Dixon (Chicago State), Kelley Tarver (CSU Bakersfield) and Keiva Small (Longwood). Dixon ranked second among independent with 17.8 points per game while Tarver was third with 17.3 ppg.