BOSTON - Binghamton and UMBC earned wins in their opening #AEVB matches to end the weekend unbeaten. The Bearcats beat an NJIT squad that ended the week 1-1, while the Retreivers went 2-0, dropping only one set on the week to New Hampshire.
2023 #AEVB Weekly Award Winners – Oct. 3
Player of the Week:
Tsvetelina Ilieva, Binghamton – Sr., Outside Hitter, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Earned back-to-back doubles on the week, earning a total of 37 kills and 26 digs.
- Helped lead the Bearcats to an opening sweep over NJIT with her 20 kill, 19 dig, and .348 hitting performance.
Rookie of the Week:
Julija Grubisic Cabo, UMBC – Fr., Outside Hitter, Maribor, Slovenia
- Recorded 19 kills and 20 digs on the week while averaging a .260 hitting pct.
- Recorded a double-double in win over UNH, tallying 10 kills and 15 digs while hitting .333.
Setter of the Week:
Zosia Szczotkiewicz, UAlbany – Jr., Setter, Walcz, Poland
- In back-to-back games, earned 31 assists and 5 digs to total 62 and 10 on the week.
- Leads all of #AEVB in assists (287) and has earned weekly honors for four-straight weeks.
Defensive Specialist of the Week:
Hannah Howard, UMBC – Fr., Libero/D.S., Inwood, W.Va.
- In an #AEVB opening sweep vs. Bryant, helped hold the Bulldogs to hitting only .066 and racked up 17 digs.
- Tallied 18 digs while helping a defensive unit hold UNH to a .103 hitting pct in a 3-1 win.
2023 #AEVB Weekly Award Winners:
Aug. 29 – Player of the Week: Mia Bilusic, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Aysia Miller, UMBC; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Avery LePore, UNH; Rookie of the Week: Ella Schabort, Binghamton
Sept. 6 – Player of the Week: Kelly Kaufmann, UNH; Setter of the Week: Aysia Miller, UMBC; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Avery LePore, UNH; Rookie of the Week: Sara Siefert, NJIT
Sept. 12 – Player of the Week: Tsvetelina Ilieva, Binghamton; Setter of the Week: Zosia Szczotkiewicz, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Avery LePore, UNH; Rookie of the Week: Julija Grubisic Cabo, UMBC
Sept. 19 – Player of the Week: Kamani Conteh, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Zosia Szczotkiewicz, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Avery LePore, UNH; Rookie of the Week: Julija Grubisic Cabo, UMBC
Sept. 26 – Player of the Week: Arianna Ugolini, Bryant; Setter of the Week: Zosia Szczotkiewicz, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Josie Delgua, Bryant; Rookie of the Week: Brookelyn Talmedge, Bryant
Oct. 3 – Player of the Week: Tsvetelina Ilieva, Binghamton; Setter of the Week: Zosia Szczotkiewicz, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Hannah Howard, UMBC; Rookie of the Week: Julija Grubisic Cabo, UMBC
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEVB contest this season. Select games will air on The AE on ESPN while others will air on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching 'America East Conference' in app stores.
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