Albany Clinches #AEVB Championship Bid, Week #10 Awards Given Out
BOSTON – Albany became the first #AEVB team to clinch an #AEChamps bid as the Great Danes swept their two matches over UMass Lowell and New Hampshire. Albany sits atop the league standings at 8-1 with two weeks left in the regular season. UMBC are tied for second at 5-3 with both Binghamton and New Hampshire one half game back of them at 5-4. The top four teams will qualify for the 2017 America East Volleyball Championship, which will be played at the No. 1 seed.
The majority of #AEVB conference matches will appear AmericaEast.TV, the place to watch free live content on any device, including the network's Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Android TV OTT channels. A pair of UNH league contests will air on ESPN3, home to over 30 America East school-produced events this fall.
Full #AEVB Schedule/Results
Here are the conference's week 10 award winners:
Player of the Week
Erin Shultz, Binghamton – Jr., Outside Hitter, Carrollton, Texas
- Averaged a league-best 5.0 kills per set and added 2.6 digs per set in 2-0 week for Binghamton.
- Hit .346, the seventh-best mark in the league last week.
- This is Schultz’s first career #AEVB Player of the Week honor of her career.
Setter of the Week
Sarah Ngo, Binghamton – Sr., Setter, Franklin, Tenn.
- Averaged a league-best 12.7 assists per set and added 3.8 digs per set (8th) in a 2-0 week for the Bearcats.
- Led Binghamton to a win at UNH with a 44 assist, 17 dig performance.
- This is Ngo’s second #AEVB Setter of the Week of the season and seventh of her career (9/6/17, 11/16/16, 10/25/16, 9/13/16, 11/9/15, 10/19/15).
Defensive Specialist of the Week
Nicole Otero, Albany – Jr., Libero, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
- Had 4.5 digs per set in a 2-0 week for Albany as the Great Danes clinched a berth in the #AEVB Championship.
- Helped Albany hold teams to a 0.53 hitting percentage.
- This is the Otero’s fourth-straight #AEVB Defensive Specialist of the Week award of the season (10/24, 10/17, 10/10) and 12th of her career.
Rookie of the Week
Danielle Tedesco, Albany – Fr., Middle Blocker, Cazenovia, N.Y.
- Had a conference-best 1.8 blocks per set and a .583 hitting percentage while contributing 2.8 kills per set in a 2-0 week for Albany.
- This is Tedesco’s first career #AEVB Rookie of the Week award.
Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 29 - Player of the Week: Akubata Okenwa, Albany; Setter of the Week: Claudia Lopez, UMBC; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Kristin Watson, UMBC; Rookie of the Week: Emma Patlovich, New Hampshire
Sept. 6 - Player of the Week: McKyla Brooks, Stony Brook; Setter of the Week: Sarah Ngo, Binghamton; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Lindsey Visvardis, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Samantha Gioiosa, Binghamton
Sept. 12 - Player of the Week: Lauren Mortier, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Krytsia Negron, UMBC; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Logan Welti, New Hampshire; Rookie of the Week: Carmen Freeman, UMBC
Sept. 19 - Player of the Week: Gabri Olhava, New Hampshire; Setter of the Week: LeAnne Sakowicz, Stony Brook; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Kiani Kerstetter, Stony Brook; Rookie of the Week: Carmen Freeman, UMBC
Sept. 26 - Player of the Week: Cydney Bowman, Stony Brook; Setter of the Week: Krytsia Negron, UMBC; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Kristin Watson, UMBC; Rookie of the Week: Carmen Freeman, UMBC
Oct. 3 - Player of the Week: Gaby Alicea, Binghamton; Setter of the Week: LeAnne Sakowicz, Stony Brook; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Kiani Kerstetter, Stony Brook; Rookie of the Week: Tatiana Tiangco, Albany
Oct. 10 - Player of the Week: Kennedi Smith, New Hampshire; Setter of the Week: Kelly Cameron, Albany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Nicole Otero, Albany; Co-Rookies of the Week: Abby Nash, Hartford & Carmen Freeman, UMBC
Oct. 17 – Co-Players of the Week: Gaby Alicea, Binghamton & Paola Rojas, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Kelly Cameron, Albany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Nicole Otero, Albany; Rookie of the Week: Tatiana Tiangco, Albany
Oct. 24 - Player of the Week: Kennedi Smith, New Hampshire; Setter of the Week: Kelly Cameron, Albany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Nicole Otero, Albany; Rookie of the Week: Tatiana Tiangco, Albany
Oct. 31 - Player of the Week: Erin Shultz, Binghamton Setter of the Week: Sarah Ngo, Binghamton; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Nicole Otero, Albany; Rookie of the Week: Danielle Tedesco, Albany
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