FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANSFIELD, Mass. – American International's Jana Potic has been elected NE10 Volleyball Player of the Year, as voted on by the league's head coaches and announced on Wednesday afternoon, along with the release of All-Conference Teams. The Yellow Jackets earned the No. 3 seed in the NE10 Championship and will play in the semifinals on Friday, behind Potic's play this season.
Regular season champion New Haven and No. 2 seed Adelphi each placed five student-athletes on All-Conference Teams to lead the way, while Adelphi, AIC and Southern Connecticut State all had a pair of players on the First Team.
For a complete list of all-conference members and award winners, please see below.
Potic was the headliner of the All-Conference major awards, while teammate Dolores Kopren (Setter of the Year) and head coach Matthew Cribbin (Coach of the Year) each also earned recognition. In addition, Adelphi's Katarina Warburton was named Libero of the Year and New Haven's Ruby Fera was picked as Rookie of the Year.
In a conference full of talented players, Potic ranked first in kills per set (3.75) and kills overall (398) - proving to be one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NE10. She recorded double-digit points in all except two matches this season, including three contests with more than 20 kills - with a season-high 24 in a win over Franklin Pierce on Oct. 2. Potic also was strong on the defensive side, tallying a season-best 22 digs against Holy Family on Sept. 7. It is the second major NE10 award of her career, after earning Rookie of the Year back in 2016.
Potic may not have been as strong statistically if it wasn't for Kopren, her teammate, who averaged 10.79 assists per set - second-most in the league. The Setter of the Year has notched 40 or more assists in 13 matches to this point, including a pair of games with more than 60. She is a four-time NE10 Setter of the Week this season and looks to add to the Yellow Jackets' postseason run when they take on second-seeded Adelphi on Friday.
Warburton has helped lead the charge for the Panthers on the defensive side, averaging 5.57 digs per set, second-best in the league, while ranking first in overall digs (590). She added 37 services aces, 12th-most in the NE10, as well as posting 16 matches with 20 or more digs, including a 40-dig effort against NYIT on Oct. 23. The Panthers take on AIC in the NE10 semifinals on Friday.
Top-seeded New Haven, who fell in the NE10 quarterfinals to Saint Anselm on Tuesday, has benefitted greatly from Rookie of the Year Ruby Fera - a player averaging 2.31 kills per set with a .244 hitting percentage, 1.90 digs per set and 0.29 blocks per set. The Chargers placed five players on All-Conference Teams, including Fera, who was also named to the All-Rookie Team.
Cribbin earns NE10 Coach of the Year honors for the first time since joining AIC in 2012 and has led the Yellow Jackets to the NE10 semfinals on Friday, where they will meet Adelphi. Jana Potic is the second player to be named Player of the Year under his tutelage, with the first being Diva Rivas-Reyes in 2016.
2018 NE10 Volleyball All-Conference Awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jana Potic, RS, AIC
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Dolores Kopren, AIC
LIBERO OF THE YEAR
Katarina Warburton, Adelphi
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Ruby Fera, New Haven
SANDY HOFFMAN COACH OF THE YEAR
Matthew Cribbin, AIC
FIRST TEAM
Sara Bisbe, OH, Adelphi
Katarina Warburton, L, Adelphi
Dolores Kopren, S, AIC
Jana Potic, RS, AIC
Shayna Webber, MB, Saint Rose
Alyssa Gage, MB, SCSU
Leanna Jadus, OH, SCSU
SECOND TEAM*
Andrea Serra, OH, AIC
Rachel Bruno, MB, Bentley
Camille Garden, MB, New Haven
Mallory Nowicki, RS, New Haven
Kristine Rios, S, New Haven
Claudia Fontanet, OH, Pace
Jewel Hays, S, Saint Anselm
Tina Ceriello, L, Saint Rose
THIRD TEAM
McKenna Clawson, OH, Adelphi
Jessica Miller, RS, Le Moyne
Kali Greathead, OH, New Haven
Catie McCarthy, OH, Saint Anselm
Madison Sollows, MB, Saint Anselm
Irem Bat, OH, SNHU
Allyson Hughes, RS, Stonehill
All-ROOKIE TEAM*
Ruby Fera, New Haven
Kailyn O’Neal, SCSU
Lauren Wilke, Stonehill
Grace Wegmann, Adelphi
Sara Mandreja, Adelphi
Mallory Burbage, Bentley
Mary Talty, Le Moyne
Abby Remick, Stonehill
*Tie in voting exists, so team expanded.
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.