ECAC Announces Corvias Women's Volleyball Players of the Week
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced the Corvias Women’s Volleyball Players of the Week for the week ending Oct. 30.
DIVISION II
Offensive Player of the Week
Claudia Fontanet – Pace University, So., OH
Fontanet had another strong pair of matches for the Setters, as Pace went 2-0 in a pair of Northeast-10 Conference matchups. She averaged 4.57 kills per set, as well as 2.57 digs per set in seven sets. Fontanet threw down 18 kills in Friday's four-set victory over Merrimack, and followed that up with a 14-kill, 10-dig performance in Saturday's three-set win at Assumption.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sara Crandall – Gannon University, Jr., DS
Crandall dug 39 balls in two matches to help the Lady Knights improve to 22-3 on the season. Her 39 digs helped the Lady Knights extend their consecutive-sets-won streak to 12. She also recorded three assists and two service aces against Kutztown.
Rookie of the Week
Samantha Nidini – Pace University, Fr., S
Nidini had an outstanding pair of matches for the Setters, dishing out 95 assists in seven sets for an incredible average of 13.57 assists per set in a 2-0 weekend for Pace. She passed out 50 assists in just four sets in Friday's victory at Merrimack, followed by another 45 assists in three sets in Saturday's victory over Assumption. Nidini had a double-double on Saturday with 14 digs
DIVISION III - METRO
Offensive Player of the Week
Larysa Iwaskiw – Ramapo College, Jr., OH
Iwaskiw led Ramapo in a 2-1 week, including clinching the Roadrunners’ first-ever NJAC regular season title. She recorded 63 kills (6.30/set) and 26 digs (2.60/set), along with five aces and four assists. She registered 22 kills, five digs and five aces in a win over Rutgers-Camden, and added an 18-kill/9-dig performance in a win over Farmingdale State. She then had a week-high 23 kills and 12 digs in a double-double effort in a setback to Vassar. Iwaskiw hit .257 on the week, including a week-best .419 against the Scarlet Raptors. Iwaskiw currently leads all Division III players across the nation with 5.88 kills per set this season.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sue Riley – Rutgers-Newark, Jr., Lib.
Riley led Rutgers-Newark in a 1-2 week. She recorded 5.20 digs per set (52 total), and added three aces and a kill. She registered 12 digs against Stockton. She then added a week-high 23 digs in a setback to King’s College before recording 17 digs in a win over St. Elizabeth.
Rookie of the Week
Kailey Gallagher – Rowan University, Fr., OH
Gallagher helped Rowan to a 2-2 week to close out the regular season. She averaged 2.83 kills per set and 1.25 blocks per set, for 34 kills and 15 blocks total. She recorded a season-high 14 kills in a win over William Paterson, and tied her season high with five blocks against the Pioneers. She tied her season high with five more blocks against Buffalo State along with nine kills. She added seven kills and two blocks against Stevens, and wrapped up the week with four kills and three blocks against Nazareth. Gallagher hit .355 on the week, including going .700 against WPU and .529 against Buffalo State.
DIVISION III – NEW ENGLAND
Offensive Player of the Week
Alycia Rackliffe – Framingham State University, Sr., RS
Rackliffe averaged 19.8 kills, 16 digs and 4.5 blocks with a .281 hitting percentage in a 3-1 week for the Rams. She recorded 24 kills, 20 digs and seven blocks in a 3-2 win over Worcester State that secured the MASCAC regular season title. The senior recorded 22 kills and 18 digs in five set loss to Rhode Island College and 21 kills and 12 digs with 5 blocks in the 3-0 win over Curry College.
Defensive Player of the Week
Lauren Holt – Springfield College, Sr., MB
Holt had a strong final week of play as she helped the Pride lock up the second seed in the upcoming NEWMAC Championship. The senior totaled 15 blocks and 15 kills as she anchored a defense that held its opponents to a combined .119 hitting percentage. Her week was highlighted by a dominating performance at Wellesley, as the senior tied her career high 12 blocks, the third-highest total in a four-set match in all of Division III this season. To date, Holt leads the entire nation in total blocks and blocks per set.
Rookie of the Week
Sydney Adams – Maine Maritime Academy, Fr., S/RS
Adams helped lead the Mariners to a 2-1 week against strong non-conference opponents. In the Mariners' 3-1 win over Colby, Adams tallied a team-high 27 assists, while adding 10 digs for the double-double, seven aces, two kills, and two blocks. In a 3-1 win over Eastern Conn. State, she tallied 44 assists, eight aces, five digs two kills, and one block. Against Keene State she recorded 34 assists, nine digs, five kills, three aces and one block. Overall this week, Adams totaled 105 assists (8.08/set), 24 digs (1.85/set), 18 aces (1.38/set), 10 kills, and four blocks.
DIVISION III – NORTH
Offensive Player of the Week
Amanda Cerruti – Ithaca College, So., MB
Cerruti had a big weekend with 30 kills on a .411 hitting percentage and 11 blocks to help Ithaca go 2-1 at the Skidmore Invitational. She kicked off the two-day event with eight kills on .375 hitting, adding two solo blocks and three block assists in the Bombers five-set heart-breaker against New Paltz. She opened her fantastic performance on Saturday with an excellent match against Potsdam. She posted a match-best 11 kills on .474 hitting, while she also picked up a pair of block assists. The second-year middle added 11 more kills to pace IC for the match against Geneseo, also chipping in two solo blocks and two block assists. Cerruti was named to the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the competition.
Defensive Player of the Week
Mallorie Deschaine – Marywood University, So., OH
Deschaine was named to the Houghton All-Tournament team as part of a 3-2 week. She had three double-doubles and double-digit digs in all five matches, averaging 5.00 digs and 1.08 blocks per set.
Rookie of the Week
Amber Smith – Alfred University, Fr., OH
Smith broke her career-record in kills with 23 against SUNY Polytechnic in the Saxons’ season-closer on Saturday. She finished with hitting percentage of .273 in the match and added 12 digs, one solo block and one ace. Smith earlier earned 11 kills, five block assists, seven digs and two set assists in Alfred University’s win over Oswego State.
DIVISION III - SOUTH
Offensive Player of the Week
Cailyn Thomas – Marymount University, Sr., MH
Thomas helped the Saints to a 2-1 week including the program's first victory over a top-25 opponent against No. 12 Mary Washington. For the week, Thomas averaged 3.08 kills per game with a .280 hitting percentage, notching double-figure kills in matches against Mary Washington, No. 20 Christopher Newport, and Messiah. She was also a stalwart on defense, totaling 21 blocks for the week with an average of 1.62 per game.
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