Serra-Rosa, Eckert-Rivera and Akiona Earn Recognition.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – A trio of Northeast-10 Conference volleyball players have been named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), as announced by the organization last week.
American International's Andrea Serra-Rosa and Naomi Eckert-Rivera, as well as New Haven's Jessica Akiona, earned AVCA recognition after impressive 2021 seasons that saw them lead their respective teams to the NE10 Volleyball Championship match and the NCAA East Regional.
Serra-Rosa, the NE10 and AVCA East Region Player of the Year, helped lead the Yellow Jackets to their first league title in 25 years. She recorded a league-high 453 kills during the season, while ranking second with 3.77 kills per set. It is the second time Serra-Rosa has been named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American in her career (also 2019).
Eckert-Rivera, the NE10 Setter of the Year, averaged a league-best 11.04 assists per set – putting her in the top 15 among all Division II players. AIC advanced to the NCAA East Region Championship match, behind Eckert-Rivera's offensive performance.
Akiona, the NE10's Elite 24 Award winner and a member of the Volleyball All-Championship Team, ranked second in kills (406) and fourth in kills per set (3.20) among NE10 players. She becomes the first Chargers' player to receive national recognition under second-year head coach Christa Cooper.
All three players – Serra-Rosa, Eckert-Rivera and Akiona – were named to both the NE10 All-Conference First Team and AVCA All-East Region Team.
There were 73 players were selected by the AVCA as Honorable Mention All-Americans. Overall, the organization selected 116 players across the eight NCAA Division II regions as All-Americans, broken into three teams and honorable mentions.
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.
