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 52 kills and 4.73 kills per set on .488 hitting to go with 15 digs, two blocks, and four aces as Mercy went 3-0 on the week. The junior opened the week with 12 kills on .526 hitting to go with five digs, and one ace in the sweep at Assumption on Wednesday. The outside hitter then had a match-high 23 kills on .425 hitting to go with five digs, one ace and two block assists in the five-set win over Molloy on Friday. Dilena ended the week with a match-high 17 kills on .560 hitting, including her 1,000th career kill, to go with five digs, and two aces in the sweep over STAC on Sunday, giving Mercy the ECC Regular Season Championship.
Defensive Player of the Week
Mia Illes-Hair (Mercy)
Sr., MB, Lake Worth, Fla., Palm Beach Central
Illes-Hair had a team-high 11 blocks and 1.00 blocks per set to go with 11 kills, and two digs as Mercy went 3-0. The senior opened the week with a match-high four blocks (1 solo, 3 assists) to go with five kills, one dig and one assist in the sweep at Assumption on Wednesday. The middle blocker then had two blocks (1 solo, 1 assist) to go with four kills and one assist in the five-set win over Molloy on Friday. The senior assisted on the match-winning block in the 15-13 fifth set win for Mercy. Illes-Hair ended the week with a match-high five blocks (5 assists) to go with two kills and one dig in the Senior Day sweep over STAC on Sunday, giving Mercy the ECC Regular Season Championship.
Setter of the Week
Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Sr., S, Humacao, Puerto Rico, American International College
Rivera Rodriguez had a team-high 105 assists and 9.55 assists per set to go with 15 digs, one block, four aces and nine kills as Mercy went 3-0. The setter opened the week with a match-high 33 assists to go with four digs, four kills and two aces in the sweep at Assumption on Wednesday. The senior then had a match-high 42 assists to go with six digs, one block assist, two aces and two kills in the five-set win over Molloy on Friday. Rivera Rodriguez ended the week with a match-high 30 assists to go with five digs, and three kills in the Senior Day sweep over STAC on Sunday, giving Mercy the ECC Regular Season Championship.
Rookie of the Week
Etana Murray (Daemen)
Fr., MB, Binghamton, N.Y., Binghamton
Playing in just her fifth and sixth games of the season, Murray totaled nine blocks (1/set) and eight kills in Daemen's 2-0 week with wins over D'Youville and Roberts Wesleyan. The freshman posted a career-high seven blocks in the five-set win against D'Youville, and followed up with two blocks and four kills while hitting at a .571 clip against Roberts Welseyan on Sunday.
Weekly Honor Roll
Avery Craig (Daemen)
Jr., OH, Tomball, TX, Tomball Memorial HS
Craig totaled 25 kills (2.7/set) with just eight errors while adding 27 digs (3.0/set), five aces, two blocks and three assists in Daemen's 2-0 week. The junior led the team offensively in both wins this week, totaling 10 kills with just two errors while hitting .320 along with four aces in the 3-2 win over D'Youville on Wednesday then followed up with her fifth double-double of the season in Daemen's 3-1 victory over Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday, tallying 15 kills and a season-high 20 digs.
Stasa Stamenkovic (Mercy)
Jr., OH, Bor, Serbia, Barton CC
Stamenkovic had 32 kills, 2.91 kills per set, 13 digs, three blocks, five aces and five assists as Mercy went 3-0. The junior opened the week with a match-high 14 kills on .591 hitting to go with six digs, one block assist, two aces and two assists in the sweep at Assumption on Wednesday. Stamenkovic then had 11 kills, three digs, and two aces in the five-set win over Molloy on Friday. The junior ended the week with seven kills, four digs, two block assists, one ace and three assists in the sweep over STAC on Sunday.
Haven Trechter (Molloy)
So., OH, Windsor, Calif., Windsor
Trechter shined in Molloy's 1-1 week. The sophomore collected a near double-double in Molloy's five-set thriller at Mercy collecting nine kills and 10 digs while adding three block assists. Against Queens on Sunday, Trechter led the Lions at the net with 14 kills hitting at a 43.5 percent clip, while collecting four digs and two aces. On the week, Trechter totaled 23 kills and five total blocks while collecting 2.88 kills per set and a 30.6 hitting percentage.
Adriana Zarceno (St. Thomas Aquinas)
So., OH, Oviedo Asturias, Spain, Colegio San Ignacio
Zarceno recorded 19 kills, a serve assist, 3 service aces, 11 digs, a solo block and a block assist in 6 total sets, as the Spartans went 1-1 on the week in ECC matches against Queens and Mercy. The STAC sophomore outside hitter also held a .260 hitting percentage in that span.
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)
Oct. 12 – Cameron Ulinski (D'Youville) (2x)
Oct. 19 – Stasa Stamenkovic (Mercy) (2x)
Oct. 26 – Grace Dilena (Mercy)
Nov. 2 – Grace Dilena (Mercy) (6x)
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)
Oct. 12 – Aleksandra Lucic (Mercy) (3x)
Oct. 19 – Mia Illes-Hair (Mercy)
Oct. 26 – Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Mercy)
Nov. 2 – Mia Illes-Hair (Mercy) (3x)
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)
Oct. 5 – Ashley Ballou (D'Youville)
Oct. 12 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Oct. 19 – Ashley Ballou (D'Youville (2x) and Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Oct. 26 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy)
Nov. 2 – Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Mercy) (9x)
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)
Oct. 5 – Kailie Girard (Molloy)
Oct. 12 – Kailie Girard (Molloy) (2x)
Oct. 19 – Zoe Sercu (Queens) (2x)
Oct. 26 – Audrey Johnson (Daemen) (4x)
Nov. 2 – Etana Murray (Daemen)
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.