Emily Berman (Towson, Md./Towson) and Megan Gross (Montclair, Va./Forest Park) of the UMBC volleyball team have been named America East Player of the Week and Setter of the Week respectively, while Hartford's Jennifer Monroy (Rahway, N.J./Union Catholic) takes home Rookie of the Week accolades. The awards were announced Monday (September 13).
A redshirt freshman, Berman led UMBC with 5.43 kills per game (.400 hitting percentage) as the Retrievers extended their season-long win streak to four straight and placed second at the William & Mary Invitational over the weekend. Berman in four matches recorded 76 kills, 10 service aces, 10 digs and four total blocks (1 solo, 3 assisted). Berman, who last season injured her shoulder just six matches into the season and sat out the rest of the year, was named to the All-Tournament team at the William & Mary Invitational averaging 5.50 kills per game and a .375 hitting percentage at the two-day, three match event. She recorded a career-high 22 kills against host school and tournament champion William & Mary trumping her 21-kill performance earlier in the week against St. Francis (Pa.). On the season she is averaging 4.42 kills per game and a .307 hitting percentage.
Monroy posted 3.50 kills per game and 2.71 digs per game over three matches at the Colgate Invitational. She recorded double-doubles in all three of the Hawks’ matches: 16 kills and 11 digs vs. Colgate, 18 kills and 14 digs vs. Quinnipiac and 15 kills and 13 digs vs. Canisius. Monroy leads the team in kills (102) and ranks second in kills per game (3.19). She has posted double-doubles in six of her first eight matches.
Gross, a junior, directed the Retriever offense to three wins on the week and a season-long four-game win streak she recorded 172 assists (12.29 per game) in four matches played. She went over the 40-assists mark in three of the team’s four matches and recorded 12.80 assists per game (128 total assists) at the William & Mary Invitational en route to earning All-Tournament accolades. Against St. Francis (Pa.) to open the week Gross handed out 44 helpers in the four-game match and later went on to recorded 37 assists against Hampton in the tournament opener, 44 in the three-game match against Loyola (Md.) and a season-high 47 assists in the four-game match against William & Mary. She finished the week with 36 digs, including 12 against Loyola (Md.), eight service aces, and five total blocks (1 solo, 4 assisted). For the season she has 296 assists, a 10.96 per game average.