Players of the Week
Player of the Week
Grace Dilena (Mercy)
Jr., OH, New York, N.Y., Liberty University Online Academy
Dilena had a team-high 26 kills and 4.33 kills per set on .380 hitting with 16 digs, three aces and one block as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The junior opened the week with six kills on 1.000 hitting in just one set of action with one dig and one ace in the sweep of Queens on Wednesday. The outside hitter ended the week with a double-double by way of a match-high 20 kills to go with 15 digs, one block and two aces in the five-set win over Daemen on Sunday.
Defensive Player of the Week
Aleksandra Lucic (Mercy)
Jr., OH, Belgrade, Serbia, Florida Southwestern State College/AIC
Lucic had a team-high 24 digs and 3.00 digs per set with six blocks, 0.75 blocks per set, 20 kills, five aces and one assist as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The junior opened the week with six kills, seven digs, and two aces in then sweep of Queens on Wednesday. Lucic ended the week with a double-double by way of 14 kills and a match-high 17 digs to go with six block assists and three aces in the five-set win over Daemen on Sunday.
Setter of the Week
Ashley Ballou (D'Youville)
R-So., S, Eden, N.Y., Eden/University of Connecticut/University at Buffalo
Ashley Ballou directed the Saints’ offense with 98 assists across two five-set matches, averaging 9.80 assists per set. She recorded 53 assists in D’Youville’s win over Molloy before adding 45 assists against St. Thomas Aquinas. Ballou also contributed 22 digs, 11 kills, nine block assists and three service aces over the weekend.
Rookie of the Week
Kailie Girard (Molloy)
Fr., RS, South Windsor, CT, South Windsor
Girard totaled 27 kills and 2.45 kills per set on .285 hitting with four digs and five blocks. The freshman contributed five kills and a block in the non-conference win over Holy Family before adding 14 kills in the match against D'Youville over the weekend. In the conference match up against D'Youville, Girard hit at a .438 clips, recording eight kills, three blocks, and two digs in the three-set sweep to close out the weekend.
Weekly Honor Roll
Ella Buonauro (Mercy)
So., S, Simi Valley, Calif., Royal High School
Buonauro had a career-high 55 assists and five digs to go with one ace and one kill in her first collegiate start in Mercy's five-set win over Daemen on Sunday.
Avery Craig (Daemen)
Jr., OH, Tomball, Tex, Tomball Memorial
Craig led the Wildcats offensively with 19 kills (2.37/set) and totaled 14 digs, four aces, three blocks and three assists in Daemen's 1-1 conference opening weekend. The junior outside hitter posted a team-high 10 kills and added seven digs and two aces in the Wildcats' 3-0 sweep over STAC on Saturday, then followed up with a nine kill, seven dig performance in their five set loss to Mercy on Sunday.
Gabrielle Dials (D'Youville)
So., OH, Columbus, Ohio, Gahanna Lincoln
Gabrielle Dials totaled 38 digs across two matches for the Saints, averaging 19.0 digs per match. She recorded 12 digs against Molloy before turning in a 26-dig performance against St. Thomas Aquinas. Dials also contributed two service aces and 14 kills on the weekend, providing D’Youville with steady production in both the back row and at the net.
Mia Illes-Hair (Mercy)
Sr., MB, Lake Worth, Fla., Palm Beach Central
Illes-Hair had a team-high eight block assists and 1.00 blocks per set with 19 kills on .600 hitting as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The senior opened the week with a match-high eight kills on .667 hitting in the sweep of Queens on Wednesday. The middle blocker ended the week with 11 kills on .556 hitting with eight block assists in the five-set win over Daemen on Sunday.
Audrey Johnson (Daemen)
Fr., OH/DS, Mequon, Wis., Homestead
Johnson totaled 18 kills (2.25/set), 20 digs (2.5/set), eight aces and two blocks as Daemen went 1-1 in their opening conference weekend. The freshman posted a season-high seven aces in the Wildcats' sweep over STAC on Saturday and followed up with her fifth double-double of the season in the loss to Mercy, totaling 14 kills and 12 digs in the five-set loss.
Giselle Ramirez (D'Youville)
Sr., MB, Miami, Fla., School for Advanced Studies
Giselle Ramirez delivered an efficient offensive weekend for the Saints, totaling 27 kills while adding seven block assists and three service aces across two matches. She hit .500 against Molloy and .286 against St. Thomas Aquinas while finishing with 17.5 points in each match. Ramirez recorded 27 kills on 52 attacks with just seven errors over the weekend.
Erin Stanley (Molloy)
Sr., OH, Massapequa Park, NY, Massapequa
Stanley had 39 kills and 3.55 kills per set on .352 hitting with four digs, five blocks (2 solo, 3 assisted) and an assist this week. In the three set win over Holy Family, Stanley paced the Lions with 11 kills and two blocks. In the conference opener against D'Youville that went the full five sets, the senior led all players with 17 kills. Closing out the weekend against Roberts Wesleyan, Stanley totaled 11 kills, hitting at a .556 clip, and added two blocks.
Cameron Ulinski (D'Youville)
Jr., OH, Bretten, Germany, Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Cameron Ulinski put together a strong weekend for the Saints, totaling 33 kills, 18 digs, two service aces and 37.5 points across 10 sets. She opened the weekend with 18 kills on a .231 hitting percentage, 12 digs and 21.5 points in D’Youville’s five-set win over Molloy, then followed with 15 kills against St. Thomas Aquinas. Ulinski averaged 3.30 kills, 1.80 digs and 3.75 points per set over the two matches while helping the Saints earn an ECC road victory over
Molloy.
2026 ECC Women’s Volleyball Weekly Award Winners
Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Grace Dilena (Mercy)
Sep. 7 – Grace Dilena (Mercy)
Sep. 14 – Cameron Ulinski (D'Youville)
Sep. 21 – Grace Dilena (Mercy)
Sep. 28 – Stasa Stamenkovic (Mercy)
Oct. 5 – Grace Dilena (Mercy) (4x)
Defensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Kamila Colon (Mercy)
Sep. 7 – Kamila Colon (Mercy) (2x)
Sep. 14 – Mia Illes-Hair (Mercy)
Sep. 21 – Stasa Stamenkovic (Mercy)
Sep. 28 – Aleksandra Lucic (Mercy)
Oct. 5 – Aleksandra Lucic (Mercy) (2x)
Setter of the Week
Aug. 31 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Sep. 7 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Sep. 14 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Sep. 21 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Sep. 28 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy) (5x)
Oct. 5 – Ashley Ballou (D'Youville)
Rookie of the Week
Aug. 31 – Zoe Sercu (Queens)
Sep. 7 – Amelie Gasche (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Sep. 14 – Audrey Johnson (Daemen)
Sep. 21 – Audrey Johnson (Daemen)
Sep. 28 – Audrey Johnson (Daemen) (3x)
Oct. 5 – Kailie Girard (Molloy)
2026 ECC Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll
1. Mercy - 49 points (7 first-place votes)
2. Molloy - 38 points
3. Daemen - 37 points
4. D'Youville - 29 points
5. Roberts Wesleyan - 15 points
T6. St. Thomas Aquinas - 14 points
T6. Queens - 14 points
***
Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women’s bowling (3), men’s and women’s indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men’s lacrosse (1).
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men’s and women’s basketball; women's bowling; men’s and women’s cross country; field hockey; men’s and women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s indoor track and field; men’s and women’s outdoor track and field; men’s and women’s soccer; softball; and men's and women’s volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.