Women's Volleyball

AIC Dominates Major Awards to Highlight Volleyball All-Conference Honors

Mendez, Lucic and Cribbin Represent the Yellow Jackets

MANSFIELD, Mass. - American International earned three major awards, including Victoria Mendez who was named Player of the Year, when the Northeast-10 Conference announced its All-Conference volleyball honors for the 2024 season on Wednesday afternoon. 

It is the fifth time in the past six seasons that AIC has produced the NE10 Player of the Year, as Mendez most recently joins Andrea Serra Rosa, a three-time Player of the Year during her career with the Yellow Jackets. Mendez ranked third among all NE10 players in points per set (3.49), while ranking 10th in kills per set (2.71). She filled the stat sheet this season by also averaging 4.90 assists, 2.52 digs and 0.67 blocks per set. 

Aleksandra Lucic, Mendez's teammate, earned NE10 Rookie of the Year after a season where she led the NE10 in hitting percentage (.375) - which ranks 22nd nationally. Matt Cribbin was named the Sandy Hoffman Coach of the Year after leading AIC to an undefeated 10-0 record in conference play, the NE10 regular season title and the top seed in the NE10 Volleyball Championship.

Assumption's Barbara Illig became the first Greyhounds' player to win NE10 Libero of the Year since Lauren Raswyck in 2007. Illig led all NE10 players with 5.79 digs per set, ranking seventh in all of Division II. Adelphi's Kambel Fiser earned NE10 Setter of the Year by averaging 10.36 assists per set and racking up 1,098 assists (14th nationally). Fiser is the first Adelphi player to win the award since Megan Manierski in 2015. 

Adelphi had a league-high six players named to All-Conference teams, while AIC had five and Bentley and New Haven each had four. Adelphi and AIC were the only two programs to have multiple players named to the First Team. 

For the All-Rookie Team, AIC, Bentley and Saint Michael's all had two players selected to lead NE10 programs. 

For a full list of All-Conference recipients, please see below. 

NE10 Volleyball All-Conference

Player of the Year: Victoria Mendez, AIC
Libero of the Year: Barbara Illig, Assumption
Setter of the Year: Kambel Fiser, Adelphi
Rookie of the Year: Aleksandra Lucic, AIC
Sandy Hoffman Coach of the Year: Matt Cribbin, AIC

FIRST TEAM
Kambel Fiser, Adelphi
Macarty McQueen, Adelphi
Aleksandra Lucic, AIC
Victoria Mendez, AIC
Barbara Illig, Assumption
Elizabeth Blinn, Bentley
Sofia Kamke, New Haven
Yasmeen Muhammad, Pace
 
SECOND TEAM
Noelle Alberda, Adelphi
Perla Rosa, AIC
Sophia Poehlein, Bentley
Tory Vitko, Bentley
Caitlin Wunder, Bentley
Grace Juergens, New Haven
Amber Williams, New Haven
Hollyn Frano, Saint Anselm
Alexandra Baez Rentas, Saint Michael’s
 
THIRD TEAM
Delaney Kiendra, Adelphi
Emilia Cascapera, Adelphi
Jaydin Nowak, Adelphi
Alice Di Francesco, AIC
Carissa Michel, AIC
Tori Borton, New Haven
Karielys Melendez, Pace
Julia Cavalcanti, SNHU
 
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Emilia Cascapera, Adelphi
Aleksandra Lucic, AIC
Janelys Perez Cortes, AIC
Sophia Poehlein, Bentley
Tory Vitko, Bentley
Payton Malinoski, New Haven
Lexi Zammit, Pace
Nora Schulze, Saint Michael’s
D'Niaya Settles, Saint Michael’s
Addie Garn, SNHU


ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
 
Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.