BOSTON – Regular-season champion UMBC captured the majority of America East volleyball annual awards, headlined by three major honors.
All seven programs earned postseason recognition as announced by the conference on Thursday. Now three-time First-Team All-Conference selection Danielle Tedesco earned Player of the Year honors, guiding UAlbany to an 8-4 mark in league play. For the second consecutive season, the Retrievers took home three major accolades. The All-Conference teams, All-Rookie team and major awards were determined in a vote by the league’s seven head coaches who could not vote for their own players. The All-Academic team was voted on by a committee of administrators from the conference’s member institutions.
Full Awards Listing
2021 #AEVB Major Awards
Player of the Year
Danielle Tedesco, Gr., UAlbany
- Led the league with a .355 hitting percentage during conference play.
- Her 52 blocks were third in league play for an average of 1.16 per set.
- Increased her points-per-set averaged from 2.98 to 3.58 during conference play.
- Helped UAlbany to a top-two championship seed for the seventh season in a row.
- Second-straight Great Dane to earn Player of the Year honors, following teammate Kamara Kelly.
Setter of the Year
Wren Macaulay, Jr., New Hampshire
- Second in the conference in assists during her junior season.
- Averaged 9.6 assists per set in league matches.
- Macaulay helped UNH rank second in hitting percentage and second in assists during conference play.
- Tied for a league-high with five Setter of the Week honors this season.
- First Wildcat since 2016 to be named Setter of the Year and fourth overall.
Defensive Specialist of the Year
Loren Teter, Gr., UMBC
- 5.14 digs per set during conference play, ranking second in the conference.
- Helped UMBC hold opponents to a .157 hitting percentage all season.
- Teter’s 465 digs were the most by any America East player since 2018.
- Helped the Retrievers to a second-straight regular-season title and first outright.
- Is just the second Retriever to be named Defensive Specialist of the Year, joining 2016 honoree Kristin Watson.
Rookie of the Year
Mia Bilusic, Fr., UMBC
- Led the league in both kills per set and points per set during league play.
- Accounted for 402 points in total, more than any other #AEVB player.
- Helped the Retrievers lead the league with 14.24 kills per set in league matches en route to a 12-0 record.
- Was named Player of the Week twice and Rookie of the Week four times.
- Second Retriever in as many seasons to receive Rookie of the Year honors.
Coaching Staff of the Year
UMBC
- UMBC became just the third team in the last 20 years to finish a season 12-0 or better in league play.
- The team led the league in hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage, assists, kills and digs during league play.
- Second consecutive Coaching Staff of the Year accolade for Cristina Robertson and her staff after becoming the first UMBC staff to win the honor last season.
- Coaching alongside Robertson are Terrence Robertson and Ronaldo Pacheco.
The Retrievers, who haven’t lost a conference match in their last 15 outings, led the way with four All-Conference selections.
Another strong freshmen class includes three All-Rookie selections who were also named to All-Conference teams.
Eight student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom were named to the All-Academic Team and hold a combined 3.95 GPA.
Stay up-to-date on the tournament by visiting Championship Central for streaming and live stats links. After the game, visit for box scores, highlights and recaps following the semifinals in addition to team information, tournament history and more. Follow @AmericaEast and @AEDigitalNet on Twitter to get the real-time championship updates. Use the #AEChamps and #AEVB hashtags to join the conversation.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
– #3Pillars – Building the Complete Student-Athlete –