BOSTON – After reclaiming the regular-season title for the third time since 2020, UMBC earned two-representatives in the 2023 #AEVB major awards.
The defending #AEChamps led by Head Coach Kasey Crider snagged the Coaching Staff of the Year, while first-year Hannah Howard also claimed the newly renamed Libero of the Year title. Binghamton's Tsvetelina Ilieva was named Player of the Year again after unanimously earning the award last season, while the Bearcats' Misa Dlouha was selected as the Rookie of the Year. UAlbany's Zosia Szczotkiewicz rounded out the awards after being honored as Setter of the Year.
The All-Conference teams, All-Rookie team and major awards were determined in a vote by the league’s six 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. Libero of the Year was previously named Defensive Specialist of the Year.
Full Awards Listing
2023 #AEVB Major Awards
Player of the Year
Tsvetelina Ilieva - Sr., Binghamton
- Earned back-to-back Player of the Year honors, first player since 2018 and 2019 to do so.
- Led the league with 4.49 kills per set and 4.96 points per set during conference play.
- Also first overall in kills (443 total, 4.39 kps) and points (507.5, 5.02 pps).
- First-Team All-Conference selection.
Setter of the Year
Zosia Szczotkiewicz - Jr., UAlbany
- UAlbany's first Setter of the Year since 2011.
- Leads the conference with 662 total assists and a 9.32 per set average.
- Was named Setter of the Week for four consecutive weeks and five times total.
- First-Team All-Conference honoree.
Libero of the Year
Hannah Howard - Fr., UMBC
- First-ever Libero of the Year, and UMBC's third-straight defensive-focused major award honoree.
- Leads conference play with 5.33 digs per set.
- UMBC's first-ever top-100 recruit helped the Retrievers hold opponents to a league-low .141 hitting pct.
- Second-Team All-Conference selection.
Rookie of the Year
Misa Dlouha - Fr., Binghamton
- First Bearcat to earn the Rookie of the Year honors since 2016.
- The middle blocker is ranked second in blocks (132), fourth in aces (39), and seventh in hitting pct. (.259).
- Selected to the All-Rookie Team.
Co-Coaching Staff of the Year: Bryant
- Head Coach Theresa Garlacy led her team to a 19-11 overall record and 6-4 mark in #AEVB action.
- The 19 wins is the most for any #AEVB program this year.
- The team leads the league in service aces and opponent kills per set.
- Garlacy is assisted by Ted Garlacy, Jazmine Craig and keith Martinous.
Co-Coaching Staff of the Year: UMBC
- Head Coach Kasey Crider led the Retrievers to the outright regular season title in his second year at the helm.
- UMBC finished the season 8-2 in #AEVB play and 15-7 overall.
- The team leads the league in per set averages for points, assists, and kills, both overall and in #AEVB play.
- Crider is assisted by Jaime Kosiorek, Alexis Jordan, David Bieler.
UMBC led all programs with five total All-Coference selections. The Retrievers, New Hampshire and Bryant all had two first-team selections. Binghamton had one first-team honoree but two on the second team, second only behind UMBC's three selections.
Nine student-athletes were named to All-Academic Team with seven of those selections also earning All-Conference honors.
The #AEVB Championship begins this Friday at UMBC with semifinal action. #1-seeded UMBC faces #4 Bryant in the first match at 5 p.m. while #2 New Hampshire takes on #3 Binghamton in the second semifinal at 8 p.m. Full schedule along with streaming and story links can be found at the Championship Central.
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