Player and Rookie of the Week
Madi Hathaway, Queens
Freshman | Setter/Right Side | Edmond, OK
Hathaway starred as Queens opened the year with a 4-0 record for the first time since the 2014 season. Hathaway recorded a team-high 48 kills on a .289 hitting percentage, 51 digs, 44 assists, and three service aces. The Edmond, OK native recorded two triple-doubles and one double-double, notching a career-high 18 kills on a .342 hitting percentage against Bridgeport, 18 assists against Goldey-Beacom, and 19 digs against Post.
Defensive Player of the Week
Sarah Munn, Queens
Junior | Libero | Torrance, CA
Munn recorded a team-high 73 digs to go with four service aces and a double-double in the Knights’ season-opening 4-0 weekend. Munn began the season recording a team-high 20 digs in the team’s season-opener against Goldey-Beacom. She would conclude the weekend recording her first career double-double with a career-best 11 assists and tied a season-high performance of 20 digs in the 3-2 comeback victory over Post on Saturday afternoon as Queens opened the year with a 4-0 record for the first time under fifth-year head coach Stefan Leger.
Setter of the Week
Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan
Junior | Setter | Maplewood, MN
Schroeder eclipsed the 50-assist total twice over the weekend and finished with 176 assists in four matches as Roberts Wesleyan opened the season with four matches at the Marauder Clash at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. She recorded 52 assists in a 3-1 win over California (PA) to open the season and added 53 in the second game of the day as the Redhawks downed Wilmington (DE) in five sets. On day two of the tournament, she added 48 assists in a five-set win over host Millersville and capped the weekend with 23 assists in a 3-0 loss to Pitt-Johnstown. The junior also recorded double-doubles in each match with double-digit digs in each of the four matches. She nearly had a triple-double in the Wilmington victory with 53 assists, 11 digs and nine kills.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Despina Boudouris, Queens
Senior | Setter | Athens, Greece
Boudouris recorded a team-high 85 assists, and five service aces to go with 26 digs and one double-double. The senior notched a season-high 41 assists and three service aces and tied a career-high of four kills in the victory over Bridgeport on Friday evening. In the 3-2 comeback victory over Post Saturday afternoon Boudouris recorded her first double-double of the year with 17 assists, a season-high 13 digs and notched two service aces as Queens opened the year with a 4-0 record for the first time under fifth-year head coach Stefan Leger.
Jasmine Brundage, Daemen
Graduate Student | Libero | East Aurora, NY
Brundage appeared in all four matches for the Wildcats at the UIndy Invitational and posted 10-plus digs in all four matches and 20-plus digs in two contests. The graduate student libero had a weekend-best 28 digs, five assists, and two aces against Maryville (Mo.) and 21 digs and five assists the next contest against Tiffin. She notched 12 digs against Indiana (Pa.) and 19 digs with five assists versus Kentucky Wesleyan.
Kendall Conrad, Queens
Junior | Outside Hitter | Carrolltown, PA
Conrad recorded 40 kills and a team-high eight blocks. Conrad recorded 13 kills, five digs, and one solo block in the 3-2 victory over Bridgeport Friday evening. In the sweep over Southern Connecticut, the junior hit a .360 for a team-high 12 kills to go with two blocks as Queens completed a 3-0 sweep. Conrad would conclude the first weekend of play recording nine kills, four digs, and four blocks in the 3-2 comeback victory over Post to help Queens start the season 4-0 for the first time since the 2014 season.
Avery Dole, Daemen
Senior | Setter | Summerfield, NC
Dole led the Wildcats in assists during every match of the UIndy Invitational during her Daemen debut weekend, totaling 118 assists. Starting all four matches for Daemen, Dole began the weekend with 30 assists and two aces against Indiana (Pa.) and 21 assists with three aces against Kentucky Wesleyan. She notched her first double-double of the weekend with 36 assists and 12 digs against Maryville (Mo.) while also notching two aces and posted 31 assists in the Wildcats’ final match of the weekend against Tiffin. The senior also had a career-high five assists as well in the contest.
Aria Miller, Molloy
Sophomore | Libero | Miliani, Hawaii
Miller was a force both serving and in the back line in a 3-1 week for the Lions. The libero averaged 4.13 digs per set, including 26 in a win over Saint Anselm, while receiving at a .933 clip. At the service line, the sophomore recorded 13 aces, putting up six against St. Anselm and five against Franklin Pierce.
Kiarra Roth, Molloy
Graduate Student | Outside Hitter | Bohemia, NY
The ECC Preseason Player of the Year averaged 4.53 kills per set in a 3-1 week for the Lions. Roth reached 20 kills in three contests on the week, including 21 against Saint Anselm. She also recorded five or more digs in each game on the week to go with five aces and two blocks.
Abby Ryan, Daemen
Graduate Student | Outside Hitter | Orchard Park, NY
Ryan started and played all four matches at the UIndy Invitational, posting a double-double in three matches while helping the Wildcats go 2-2. The graduate student outside hitter posted 15 kills, 11 digs and an ace against Indiana (Pa.) and had 10 kills, seven digs, and two aces against Kentucky Wesleyan with a .227 (10-5-22) hitting percentage. Ryan totaled 13 kills and 23 digs versus Maryville (Mo.) in Daemen's comeback 3-2 win. Her 23 digs were one shy of her career-high 24, which she set while at Robert Morris. In her final match of the weekend, Ryan nabbed a weekend-best 18 kills to pair with ten digs.
Sydney Yanak, Roberts Wesleyan
Senior | Outside Hitter | Avon, OH
Yanak led Roberts Wesleyan to a 3-1 start to the season as the Redhawks downed California (PA) 3-1, Wilmington (DE) 3-2, Millersville 3-2, and dropped a 3-0 decision to Pitt-Johnstown at the Marauder Clash at Millersville. Yanak recorded a career-high 24 kills in the opener with a .346 attack percentage and 13 digs before capping the night with 16 kills and 14 digs in the win over Wilmington. On Saturday, she combined for 19 kills and 17 digs as Roberts posted its best season start since 2014 with the three wins.
Julia Zalta, Molloy
Senior | Setter | Great Neck, NY
Zalta totaled 122 assists on Molloy’s 3-1 week, averaging 8.13 assists per set. The Molloy senior setter topped 30 assists in three of Molloy's four contests on the week, led by 39 against Southern New Hampshire, and added a double-double against Saint Anselm, adding 10 digs to her 33 assists while serving up a career-high seven aces.
ECC Women's Volleyball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Madi Hathaway, Queens
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Sarah Munn, Queens
SETTER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Caleigh Schroeder, Roberts Wesleyan
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sept. 9 - Madi Hathaway, Queens
Previously in the Polls
NCAA EAST REGION RANKINGS
AMERICAN VOLLEYBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION/TARAFLEX TOP 25 NATIONAL POLL
Preseason (8/23): ––
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)