COLONIA, NJ – Mercy SAAC President Rita-Marie Masi has been named the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Representative for the East Coast Conference. Masi replaces Laura Amaya of Roberts Wesleyan, who completed her three-year term in conjunction with the 2025 NCAA Convention last week.
"We are proud to have Rita-Marie as the East Coast Conference NCAA SAAC Representative," said East Coast Conference Commissioner Jessica Grasso. "Rita-Marie is one of our student-athlete leaders that will work hard for the membership and with student-athlete peers to ensure that the ECC is represented on all matters."
At the national level, the SAAC serves to provide student-athletes with opportunities, give them a voice on student-athlete issues, and promote the student-athlete experience. One of the main functions of the National SAAC is to provide, recommend, and vote on legislation that makes up the NCAA Division II bylaws.
"When I first came to Mercy, my coach Jack Nicholson introduced me to SAAC and talked about his time as the ECC National SAAC Rep," said Masi. "After hearing him talk about how amazing his experience was, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Former Mercy SAAC President Carly Diolosa had then sent me to the Division II SAAC Super Region Convention in Pittsburgh, and I absolutely loved it. I began to get more involved on my campus and learned more in depth from Carly about what SAAC really represents."
A three-year letterwinner and two-year starting defender for the Mercy women's soccer team, Masi has led the Mavericks to 33 wins, a 16-4-3 mark in ECC play, and three consecutive ECC postseason appearances. After experiencing an ECC Championship and NCAA Second Round appearance as a freshman, Masi evolved into a defensive leader that has anchored Mercy back to back-to-back ECC Semifinals.
"What really pushed me to become a Rep was watching my friends lose their love of the game," added Masi. "I've seen too many athletes quit their sport due to various pressures that no student-athlete should face. I want to be a voice for all student-athletes and make change happen. I'm so excited to have this opportunity, and I can't wait to meet tons of new people that represent Division II."
A junior legal studies major out of Ronkonkoma, NY, Masi will also compete for the Mercy women's lacrosse program in Spring 2025 and Spring 2026.
"I could not be more proud that Rita-Marie has been selected to represent not only Mercy, but the entire East Coast Conference, on the National SAAC committee," said Jack Nicholson, Mercy's Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services, SAAC advisor, and women's soccer head coach. While a men's soccer student-athlete at St. Thomas Aquinas, Nicholson served as the ECC's National SAAC Representative from February 2017 through January 2020 as well as the student-athlete representative to the Division II Management Council for two years.
"Rita-Marie has expressed a real desire to make the student-athlete experience the best one possible, and now she can discuss and share some of those ideas on the national level," added Nicholson. "As a former National SAAC Representative myself, I hope I can provide some support and encouragement as Rita-Marie transitions into this exciting role. It is clear to see she has all the traits and qualities to succeed in this position from the start. It is a great opportunity and one we all know she is ready to take!"