Player of the Week
Giselle Giraud, Daemen
Graduate Student | Right Side | Orlando, FL
Giraud led the Wildcats offensively in both victories this weekend, totaling 27 kills to average 3.4 kills per set as the Wildcats took down Queens, 3-0, and Molloy, 3-2. Giraud hit .261 over the weekend and finished with four digs, one block and one assist.
Defensive Player of the Week
Nahirka Malpica, Daemen
Junior | Outside Hitter | Caguas, Puerto Rico
Malpica led the Wildcats in digs in their pair of victories over the weekend, totaling 41 digs (5.125 digs/set) in Daemen's wins over Queens, 3-0, and Molloy, 3-2. The junior outside hitter had a career-high 30 digs against the Lions on Sunday. She added 20 kills, two aces and two blocks in the wins.
Setter of the Week
Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan
Junior | Setter | Maplewood, MN
Schroeder averaged 10.8 assists per set in a 10-set weekend as Roberts Wesleyan fell in five sets to both St. Thomas Aquinas and Mercy. She recorded a career-high 59 assists against STAC and added 49 the following day against Mercy. She added 16 digs including nine against STAC and also tied her season-high with five service aces against the Spartans. The 59 assists is the most for any setter in the ECC this season. She currently ranks second for assists and first for aces in the ECC statistical leaders listing.
Rookie of the Week
Grace Dilena, Mercy
Freshman | Outside Hitter | New York, NY
Dilena had a team-high 28 kills, 3.50 kills per set, 25 digs and 3.13 digs per set to go with seven aces as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The freshman opened the week with a double-double by way of 12 kills on .474 hitting to go with 10 digs and four aces in Mercy's win over Caldwell on Tuesday. The outside hitter ended the week with a match-high 16 kills to go with a team-high 15 digs and three aces in Mercy's five-set win at Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Kendall Conrad, Queens
Junior | Outside Hitter | Carrolltown, PA
Conrad paced the Knights' offense recording a team-high 33 kills, 11 digs, and seven blocks in a tough three-match road stand. In ECC play the junior recorded 27 kills, 11 digs, and six blocks beginning with 13 kills, four digs, and three blocks against Daemen on Saturday afternoon. Concluding their Western New York trip Sunday afternoon, Conrad recorded 14 kills, seven digs, and three blocks as the Knights rallied to defeat D’Youville in five sets for their seventh ECC victory and 17th win of the year.
Payton Gaylor, Daemen
Redshirt Freshman | Right Side | Bowmanville, Ont.
Gaylor totaled 15 kills (1.87/set), 7 digs and four aces in the Wildcats' wins over Queens and Molloy over the weekend. The freshman right side finished with 12 kills – four of which came in the fifth set – on 24 swings against Molloy while hitting .458 on the day with just one error. She led the Wildcats with three solo blocks against the Lions.
Madi Hathaway, Queens
Freshman | Setter/Right Side | Edmond, OK
Hathaway recorded 25 kills, 22 digs, 36 assists seven blocks, and two double-doubles in a tough three-match road stand. Against New Haven on Thursday evening the rookie recorded three kills, nine assists, five digs, and two blocks before notching her seventh double-double of the year with 12 assists, and 10 digs to go with four kills and one block against Daemen Saturday afternoon in ECC play. Concluding their road stand Sunday afternoon against DYU in ECC play, Hathaway notched her eighth double-double of the year tying a career-best 18 kills on a .375 hitting percentage to go with 15 assists, seven digs, and four blocks for their seventh ECC victory and 17th win of the year.
Lindsay Osterhoudt, Queens
Junior | Middle Blocker | Orlando, FL
Osterhoudt recorded 13 kills, 15 blocks, six digs, and four service aces in a tough three-match road stand. Against New Haven on Thursday evening Osterhoudt recorded six kills on a hitting of .545 to go with five blocks in a tough non-conference match. The junior would conclude the week recording five kills, to go with two career-best performances of four service aces and nine total blocks as the Knights rallied to defeat D’Youville in five sets for their seventh ECC victory and 17th win of the year.
Evie Paalman, St. Thomas Aquinas
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Laren Gelderland, Netherlands
Paalman recorded a .224 hitting percentage for the Spartans in a 3-2 road victory over Roberts Wesleyan last week. The St. Thomas Aquinas freshman totaled 18 kills, one assist, 19 digs and a solo block across five sets against the Redhawks.
Julia Pomerleau, Mercy
Graduate Student | Middle Blocker | Portland, ME
Pomerleau had 18 kills on .308 hitting with a team-high seven blocks (4 solo, 3 assists) as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The graduate student opened the week with six kills on .500 hitting and two digs in the win at Caldwell on Tuesday. The middle blocker ended the week with 12 kills, four block solos and three block assists in the five-set win at Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday.
Giselle Ramirez, D’Youville
Sophomore | Middle Blocker | Miami, FL
Ramirez combined for 13 total blocks between two games. The sophomore recorded seven blocks against Molloy on Saturday and six blocks against Queens on Sunday.
Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy
Sophomore | Setter | Humacao, Puerto Rico
Rivera Rodriguez had a team-high 89 assists and 11.13 assists per set with 16 digs and two aces as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The sophomore opened the week with a match-high 38 assists to go with four digs in the win at Caldwell on Tuesday. The setter ended the week with a match-high 51 assists to go with 12 digs and one block in Mercy's five-set win at Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday.
Kiarra Roth, Molloy
Graduate Student | Outside Hitter | Bohemia, NY
Roth averaged 3.44 kills and 2.88 digs per week this week for the Lions. The graduate student had a double-double with 20 kills and 19 digs at Daemen to go with five blocks.
Olivia Price, Roberts Wesleyan
Junior | Outside Hitter | Oviedo, FL
Price had 34 kills (3.4 per set) and 29 digs in a pair of weekend matches against St. Thomas Aquinas and Mercy. Her 20 digs against STAC was a career-high and she finished with a .244 attack percentage with just 12 errors on 90 swings.
Lea Venghaus, St. Thomas Aquinas
Senior | Setter | Muenster, Germany
Venghaus notched 52 assists and 10.4 assists per set in the Spartans five-set road win at Roberts Wesleyan. The STAC senior setter also recorded five kills, a service ace, 11 digs and a block assist against the Redhawks.
ECC Women's Volleyball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Madi Hathaway, Queens
Sept. 16 - Madi Hathaway, Queens (2x)
Sept. 23 - Nahirka Malpica, Daemen
Sept. 30 - Kiarra Roth, Molloy
Oct. 7 - Christina Franco, Queens
Oct. 14 - Gabriela Bieniek, Mercy and Giselle Ramirez, D'Youville
Oct. 21 - Grace Dilena, Mercy
Oct. 28 - Madi Hathaway, Queens (3x)
Nov. 4 - Giselle Giraud, Daemen
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Sarah Munn, Queens
Sept. 16 - Jasmine Brundage, Daemen and Jonaida Donowa, Queens
Sept. 23 - Jasmine Brundage, Daemen (2x)
Sept. 30 - Jonaida Donowa, Queens (2x) and Emma Wlostowski, D'Youvlle
Oct. 7 - Teagan Weber, Roberts Wesleyan
Oct. 14 - Julia Pomerleau, Mercy
Oct. 21 - Nahirka Malpica, Daemen
Oct. 28 - Dahiana Garcia Atuesta, St. Thomas Aquinas
Nov. 4 - Nahirka Malpica, Daemen (2x)
SETTER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan
Sept. 16 - Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan (2x)
Sept. 23 - Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan (3x)
Sept. 30 - Mitha Hatwar, D'Youville'
Oct. 7 - Julia Zalta, Molloy
Oct. 14 - Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy
Oct. 21 - Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy
Oct. 28 - Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy
Nov. 4 - Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan (4x)
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Madi Hathaway, Queens
Sept. 16 - Madi Hathaway, Queens (2x)
Sept. 23 - Isabella Rios, Molloy
Sept. 30 - Madi Hathaway, Queens (3x)
Oct. 7 - Madi Hathaway, Queens (4x)
Oct. 14 - Grace Dilena, Mercy
Oct. 21 - Grace Dilena, Mercy (2x)
Oct. 28 - Madi Hathaway (5x)
Nov. 3 - Grace Dilena, Mercy (3x)
Previously in the Polls
NCAA EAST REGION RANKINGS
AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION/TARAFLEX TOP 25 NATIONAL POLL
Preseason through Week 8: NR
ECC PRESEASON POLL
1. Daemen (45 points, 4 first-place votes)
2. Mercy (40 points, 2 first-place votes)
3. Molloy (36 points, 1 first-place vote)
4. Queens (26 points)
5. St. Thomas Aquinas (20 points)
6. D'Youville (19 points)
7. Roberts Wesleyan (10 points)