BOSTON - Three America East teams hosted tournaments last week during the third week of conference volleyball action. UMBC went 3-0 while hosting the Maddie Bingaman Classic. UNH welcomed three strong teams to Durham for the Holly Young Invitational including Michigan State, Boston College and Delaware. UMass Lowell earned its first win of the season over Quinnipiac while hosting the UMass Lowell Invitational. Binghamton also had a strong weekend with five-set wins over Montana and Duquesne. Here are the week three award winners:
Player of the Week
Laini Leindecker, Albany, Jr. OH, New Philadelphia, Ohio
- Was named to Colgate Classic All-Tournament Team after helping Albany to a 2-1 record with wins over Rutgers and Colgate.
- Led the conference with 3.73 kills/set, ranked 11th in hitting percentage at .246 and 10th in digs at 2.82 per set.
- Had a pair of double-doubles with 13 kills and 11 digs in a loss to Yale and 16 kills and 12 digs in a win over Colgate.
- Notched 12 kills and eight digs with a .267 hitting percentage in a win over Rutgers.
Rookie of the Week
Makenzie Morgen, UMBC, Fr., OH, Appleton, Wisc.
- Led all freshmen and ranked second in the conference, averaging 3.31 kills per set to go with 2.54 digs per set and a .205 hitting percentage in a 3-1 week for UMBC.
- Had 34 of those kills in the Maddie Bingaman Tournament, including an 18 kill perfomance against Coppin State.
- In the match with the Eagles, Morgen hit .441 and had 12 digs for her second double-double of the year.
Setter of the Week
Mikala McCauley, Albany, Jr. S, Stanfordville, N.Y.
- Ranked second in the conference with 9.09 assists per set in a 2-1 week for Albany with wins over Rutgers and Colgate.
- Helped the Great Danes lead the league last week with a .232 hitting percentage.
- Notched 33 assists and four aces while quarterbacking the team to a .303 hitting percentage in a win over Rutgers.
Defensive Specialist of the Week
Bailey Walker, Binghamton, Jr., L, Bayport, N.Y.
- Led the conference with 5.69 digs per set in a 2-2 week for Binghamton that included five-set wins over Montana and Duquesne.
- Posted 40 digs against Duquesne and 24 against Montana.
- Binghamton held opponents to a .247 hitting percentage.
- Named to Cherry & White Challenge All-Tournament Team.
Notes
- UMass Lowell picked-up its first win of the season, beating Quinnipiac in five sets. Lauren Barnett had 18 kills in the contest for the River Hawks.
- UMBC's Krystal Williams led the conference in hitting percentage at .463 last week. The Retrievers went unbeaten at the Maddie Bingaman Classic.
- Albany notched a 2-1 record at the Colgate Classic with wins over Colgate and Rutgers.
- Binghamton went 2-1 at the Cherry & White Challenge with wins over Montana and Duquesne.
Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 31 - Player & Rookie of the Week: Maddie Schneider, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Morgan Kath, Stony Brook; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Bailey Walker, Binghamton
Sept. 8 - Player of the Week: Tori Forrest, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: McKyla Brooks, Stony Brook; Setter of the Week: Mikala McCauley, Albany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Madison Lightfoot, New Hampshire
Sept. 14 - Player of the Week: Laini Leindecker, Albany; Rookie of the Week: Makenzie Morgen, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Mikala McCauley, Albany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Bailey Walker, Binghamton