AVCA ALL-REGION TEAMS | D2CCA RELEASE
Eight Volleyball Players Earn All-Region Award/Team Distinction.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Northeast-10 Conference had 11 volleyball players recognized for their outstanding efforts this season on Wednesday, earning All-Region accolades from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA).
American International's Andrea Serra was named AVCA East Region Player of the Year, while her teammate Naomi Eckert earned East Region Freshman of the Year and Bentley's Joey Pacis was crowned East Region Coach of the Year – highlighting the list of awards.
Serra, the NE10 Player of the Year, averaged a league-best 4.30 kills per set this season – ranking ninth in all of Division II. Her 532 total kills were the second-most kills of any player in the country. She helped lead the Yellow Jackets to the NE10 title match, where she was named to the All-Championship Team.
Eckert had a remarkable freshman season, averaging a league-high 9.98 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set, good for 29th in the NE10. She was a First Team All-Conference selection and helped set-up Serra to become one of the most potent offensive weapons in all of Division II, while helping to lead AIC to the league title match.
Pacis, who captured the Sandy Hoffman Coach of the Year Award from the NE10 this season, has led the Falcons to a 26-5 record to this point after coming off a five-set, comeback win over AIC in the NE10 Championship on Nov. 23. It was Bentley's first league title since 2006. The Falcons are seeded No. 2 in the East Regional this week at Molloy.
Six players were named to the AVCA All-Region Team, including three players from Bentley – Rachel Bruno, Xio Lopp, and Dani Milner – the reigning NE10 champion. New Haven's Mallory Nowicki and Saint Anselm's Catie McCarthy were also honored by the AVCA, joining Serra and the Bentley trio.
Eckert and Sarah Lowery, a pair of AIC players, were named AVCA Honorable Mentions, as were Adelphi's Cara McKenzie and Bentley's Ingrid Murphy.
Serra and Bruno were the only two NE10 players that earned D2CCA First Team All-Region status, while Milner, McCarthy and Saint Rose's Tina Ceriello all landed on the Second Team. In total, seven different NE10 players received All-Region awards, with four others earning honorable mentions.
The first round of the NCAA East Regional is scheduled for Thursday at Molloy College, as No. 2 Bentley plays No. 7 Holy Family (2:30 p.m.), No. 4 Saint Anselm takes on No. 5 New Haven (5 p.m.) and No. 8 Adelphi meets top-seeded Molloy (7:30 p.m.). Live streams will be available for all the action on the ECC Network.
AVCA ALL-REGION
East Region Player of the Year: Andrea Serra, AIC
East Region Freshman of the Year: Naomi Eckert, AIC
East Region Coach of the Year: Joey Pacis, Bentley
All-Region Team:
Andrea Serra, AIC
Rachel Bruno, Bentley
Xio Lopp, Bentley
Dani Milner, Bentley
Mallory Nowicki, New Haven
Catie McCarthy, Saint Anselm
Honorable Mentions:
Cara McKenzie, Adelphi
Naomi Eckert, AIC
Sarah Lowery, AIC
Ingrid Murphy, Bentley
D2CCA ALL-REGION
First Team:
Andrea Serra, AIC
Rachel Bruno, Bentley
Second Team:
Dani Milner, Bentley
Catie McCarthy, Saint Anselm
Tina Ceriello, Saint Rose
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 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 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, 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.
