BOSTON – The last full weekend of non-conference play saw five of the league’s six #AEVB programs earn wins. Conference play is scheduled to begin on Friday with every match of the 10-match slate crucial as only the top four teams in the standings will qualify for the 2024 America East Volleyball Championship.
Need to Know
- UNH won two out of three matches at its own Holly Young Invitational, beating Central Conn. State and Brown.
- Bryant won twice to improve to 11-4. The Bulldogs beat Merrimack and LIU last week before falling to Iona and St. John’s.
- UMBC knocked off Princeton on Saturday to snap a nine-match losing skid and earn its first win of the season. The Retrievers visit No. 1 Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
- Binghamton had its six-match win streak snapped but registered a win over Fordham.
- UAlbany beat Copping State out in Wyoming.
- Conference play kicks off this weekend with four matches.
- The #AEVB preseason poll and All-Conference teams were announced on August 12 - link.
Weekly Award Winners – Sept. 24
Player of the Week
Tsvetelina Ilieva, Binghamton – Gr., Outside Hitter, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Had a league-best 5.3 kills per set while hitting .300 in three matches last week.
- Totaled a conference-high 74.5 points.
- Also added 2.3 digs per set.
- This is Ilieva’s second career #AEVB Player of the Week honor of the season and seventh of her career.
Setter & Rookie of the Week
Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany – Fr., Setter, Limassol, Cyprus
- Averaged a league-high 8.50 assists and also contributed 3.5 digs per set.
- Had a double-double of 34 assists and 14 digs in a three-set win over Coppin State.
- This is Siapani’s third time winning both #AEVB Setter & Rookie of the Week honors in the same week.
Defensive Specialist of the Week
Aysia Miller, UMBC – Gr., Libero, Mililani, Hawaii
- Averaged a league-best 4.8 digs per set in two matches for UMBC.
- Totaled double-digit digs in both of her matches, including 32 vs. High Point.
- This is Emil’s first #AEVB Defensive Specialist of the Week honor of the season and fourth of her career.
2024 #AEVB Weekly Award Winners
Sept. 4 – Player of the Week: Meredith Hohnbaum, New Hampshire; Setter & Rookie of the Week: Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Sthefany Carvalho, UAlbany
Sept. 10 – Player of the Week: Aubrey LaPour, Bryant; Setter & Rookie of the Week: Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Misa Dlouha, Binghamton
Sept. 17 – Player of the Week: Tsvetelina Ilieva, Binghamton; Setter of the Week: Carolina Camacho, Bryant; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Doga Emil, NJIT; Rookie of the Week: Emma Torres, NJIT
Sept. 24 – Player of the Week: Tsvetelina Ilieva, Binghamton; Setter & Rookie of the Week: Maria Olga Siapani, UAlbany; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Aysia Miller, UMBC
Links
Info
Fans will once again be able to watch nearly every #AEVB contest this season with the majority of games airing on ESPN+ and the ESPN app 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.
Follow the @AmericaEast channels on Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on America East volleyball news all season long and use #AEVB to join the conversation.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -