COLONIA, NJ – The East Coast Conference has announced its Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Executive Board for the 2026-27 academic year. Bradyn Winters of Daemen University has been named Chair, Ava Angiuli of Queens College has been selected as Vice Chair, and Rita-Marie Masi of Mercy University completes trio as the ECC’s National SAAC Representative.
Entering his second year on the ECC SAAC Executive Board, Winters begins his first year as ECC SAAC Chair after serving as the ECC SAAC Vice Chair last year. Winters is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (Pre-Medicine) and has been a member of SAAC since Fall 2024, now entering his third year as Daemen’s SAAC President. The senior out of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, is also President of TRIBETA Biological Honors Society, President of the Honors Program, Chair for Eastern Coastal Conference SAAC, and Executive Board member of the Pre-Med/Dent Club and continues to give back to his campus community by serving as the Lead Orientation Leader at Daemen. A senior member of the men’s volleyball team, Winters helped Daemen to back-to-back Northeast Conference Championship titles in 2024 and 2025 and has ammassed 374 assists as a setter for the ‘Cats.
Angiuli enters her first year on the ECC SAAC Executive Board, serving as ECC SAAC Vice Chair this year. Angiuli is pursuing a Bachlor of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and has been a member of SAAC since Fall 2023, now entering her second year as Queens’ SAAC President. The senior women’s soccer standout out of Wantagh, New York has been a staple on the Knights’ back line throughout her career, logging over 3,600 minutes while anchoring QC’s defensive core. A credit to her work ethic both on the pitch and off, Angiuli worked her way back from injury and back into Queens’ starting 11 this fall; throughout the Knights’ first two matches, Angiuli has played all 180 minutes on a back line that has posted a pair of shutout victories.
Masi serves as the ECC’s NCAA National SAAC Representative (January 2025–January 2028), where she represents the perspectives of the ECC student-athletes while collaborating with student-athlete leaders from across the country on issues impacting the Division II student-athlete experience. Masi graduated from Mercy in May 2026 with a Bachlor of Science in Legal Studies and is now pursuing her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance. The graduate student has been a member of SAAC since Fall 2022 and enters her third year as Mercy’s SAAC President. A dual-sport student-athlete for the Mavericks, Masi started 60 matches for Mercy’s women’s soccer program from 2022-2025 and will return for her fourth season with Mercy’s women’s lacrosse program this spring; the defensive standout started all 20 games for a Mavs’ squad that won last year’s ECC Championship. Masi also serves on the National SAAC Executive Board and is the chair of the Morgan’s Message chapter at Mercy.
“I am excited to congratulate our newly appointed ECC SAAC Chair Bradyn Winters and Vice Chair Ava Angiuli,” said ECC Commissioner Jessica Grasso. “Along with our ECC NCAA National SAAC Representative, Rita-Mari Masi, these student-athlete leaders will play an important role in ensuring that the student-athlete voice is heard throughout the conference and at the national level. Their leadership, perspective, and commitment will be invaluable as we continue to enhance the student-athlete experience, strengthen communication across our membership, and provide opportunities for our student-athletes to make a meaningful impact. I look forward to seeing the positive difference they will make for the ECC.”
The mission of ECC SAAC is to enhance the overall student-athlete experience by providing an opportunity to effectively communicate with the ECC and individual institutions' administration in order to provide suggestions on programs designed to serve their needs. ECC SAAC maintains a committment to academic and athletic experience while promoting diversity, serving as ambassadors to the community, and acting as liaisons between every ECC student-athlete, the conference office, and the NCAA.
The 2026-27 Executive Board will introduce new initiatives and priorities throughout the upcoming academic year. Institutional SAAC presidents from across the conference will participate in monthly virtual meetings to collaborate on student-athlete initiatives, exchange ideas, and share best practices. New in 2026-27, the ECC SAAC Executive Board members will present on specific areas, with Winters covering Community Outreach and Service/Team IMPACT, Angiuli engaging with Student-Athlete Well-Being and Mental Health, and Masi sharing Legislation and Governance Feedback from the National SAAC level.
The conference's annual in-person SAAC meeting is scheduled for October 23-25 at D’Youville University and will bring together two SAAC representatives from each member institution, including Winters, Angiuli, and Masi. Throughout the three-day event, student-athletes will participate in professional and student-athlete development programming while working collaboratively on initiatives aimed at enhancing the student-athlete experience across the conference.
For more information on ECC SAAC, please click here.