Player of the Week
Grace Dilena, Mercy
Freshman | Outside Hitter | New York, NY
Dilena had a team-high 42 kills and 4.20 kills per set on .367 hitting with 14 digs, four blocks and two aces as Mercy went 2-1 on the week. The freshman opened the week with six kills and three digs at regionally-ranked AIC on Wednesday. The outside hitter then had a career-high 23 kills on .450 hitting with four digs, two block assists and two aces in the 3-1 win over three-time defending ECC Champion Daemen on Saturday. Dilena ended the week with a match-high 13 kills on .364 hitting with seven digs and two blocks in Mercy's 3-0 win over D'Youville on Sunday.
Defensive Player of the Week
Aitza Cruz, Mercy
Senior | Libero | Vega Alta, Puerto Rico
Cruz had a team-high 26 digs and 2.60 digs per set with 10 assists and two aces as Mercy went 2-1 on the week. The senior opened the week with seven digs and one ace at regionally-ranked AIC on Wednesday. The libero then had 11 digs, six assists, and one ace in the 3-1 win over three-time defending ECC Champion Daemen on Saturday. Cruz ended the week with eight digs and three assists in the 3-0 win over D'Youville on Sunday.
Setter of the Week
Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy
Sophomore | Setter | Humacao, Puerto Rico
Rivera Rodriguez had a team-high 92 assists and 9.20 assists per set with 18 digs, four blocks and five kills as Mercy went 2-1 on the week. The sophomore opened the week with 15 assists and three digs at regionally-ranked AIC on Wednesday. The setter then had a match-high 39 assists with six digs and three aces in Mercy's 3-1 win over three-time defending ECC Champion Daemen on Saturday. Rivera Rodriguez ended the week with a match-high 38 assists and nine digs to go with three kills and three blocks assists in the 3-0 win over D'Youville on Sunday.
Rookie of the Week
Grace Dilena, Mercy
Freshman | Outside Hitter | New York, NY
Dilena had a team-high 42 kills and 4.20 kills per set on .367 hitting with 14 digs, four blocks and two aces as Mercy went 2-1 on the week. The freshman opened the week with six kills and three digs at regionally-ranked AIC on Wednesday. The outside hitter then had a career-high 23 kills on .450 hitting with four digs, two block assists and two aces in the 3-1 win over three-time defending ECC Champion Daemen on Saturday. Dilena ended the week with a match-high 13 kills on .364 hitting with seven digs and two blocks in Mercy's 3-0 win over D'Youville on Sunday.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Gabriela Bieniek, Mercy
Junior | Outside Hitter | Rzeszow, Poland
Bieniek had 28 kills, 2.80 kills per set, 22 digs, 2.20 digs per set and a team-high 12 aces as Mercy went 2-1 on the week. The junior opened the week with six kills, five digs and two aces at regionally-ranked AIC on Wednesday. The outside hitter then had 11 kills and a match-high 14 digs with five aces in the 3-1 win over Daemen on Saturday. Bieniek ended the week with 11 kills, three digs and five aces in the 3-0 win over D'Youville on Sunday.
Despina Boudouris, Queens
Senior | Setter | Athens, Greece
In their lone match of the week, senior Debbie Boudouris recorded an all-round performance with 25 assists, five digs, two kills, and one service ace to pace the Knights to a three-set sweep over Roberts Wesleyan as Queens earned its 18th victory of the year and eighth in ECC play.
Giselle Giraud, Daemen
Graduate Student | Right Side | Orlando, FL
Giraud finished with 19 kills on 40 attacks while averaging a .342 hitting percentage in Daemen's 1-1 weekend. Giraud led the Widcats with 13 kills against Mercy on Saturday and totaled six in a 3-0 win over STAC on Sunday. She totaled eight block assists, three digs and an assist on the weekend.
Madi Hathaway, Queens
Freshman | Setter/Right Side | Edmond, OK
In their lone match of the week, rookie Madi Hathaway notched a team-high nine kills on a scorching hitting percentage of .444 to go with four blocks, three service aces, three assists, and two digs to pace the Knights to a three-set sweep over Roberts Wesleyan as Queens earned its 18th victory of the year and eighth in ECC play.
Lindsay Osterhoudt, Queens
Junior | Middle Blocker | Orlando, FL
In their lone match of the week, Osterhoudt recorded six kills on a blistering hitting percentage of .462 on 13 attempts to go with a team-high seven blocks to pace the Knights to a three-set sweep over Roberts Wesleyan. With the win, Queens earned its 18th victory of the year and eighth in ECC play.
Julia Pomerleau, Mercy
Graduate Student | Middle Blocker | Portland, ME
Pomerleau had 23 kills and 2.30 kills per set on .419 hitting with a team-high nine blocks (one solo, eight assists) as Mercy went 2-1 on the week. The graduate student opened the week with four kills and two block assists at regionally-ranked AIC on Wednesday. The middle blocker then had seven kills on .600 hitting with two block assists in the 3-1 win over Daemen on Saturday. Pomerleau ended the week with 12 kills on .647 hitting with one block solo and four block assists in the 3-0 win over D'Youville on Sunday.
Lea Venghaus, St. Thomas Aquinas
Senior | Setter | Muenster, Germany
Venghaus notched 58 assists and 8.29 assists per set in the Spartans two home matches last week against D'Youville and Daemen. The STAC senior setter also totaled eight kills, a service ace, 17 digs and a solo block against the Saints and Wildcats.
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
Nov. 11 - Grace Dilena, Mercy (2x)
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)
Nov. 11 - Aitza Cruz, Mercy
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 (2x)
Oct. 28 - Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy (3x)
Nov. 4 - Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan (4x)
Nov. 11 - Adriana Rivera Rodriguez, Mercy (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. 4 - Grace Dilena, Mercy (3x)
Nov. 11 - Grace Dilena, Mercy (4x)
Previously in the Polls
NCAA EAST REGION RANKINGS
1st Rankings (11/6): Daemen, Mercy, Molloy, Queens all Under Consideration
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)