CCC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK RELEASE
BEVERLY, Mass. - After leading the Endicott women's volleyball team to a 3-1 week that included a five-set victory over regionally ranked Tufts, Emma Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Cydney Pierce (Carpinteria, Calif.) received Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) weekly honors. Mancini was named CCC Player of the Week while Pierce was named CCC Libero of the Week.
For Mancini, the distinction comes following a week in which she broke the school record for kills in a match for the second time this season. The outside hitter capped the 3-1 week by posting 29 kills in the team's 3-2 upset of Tufts, a team that was ranked #2 in the most recent NEWVA Coaches Poll and had not lost to a regional opponent in 2017. Mancini's 29 kills came on 60 swings with just seven errors for a .367 average to go along with five digs and an ace. The performance came exactly one week after she had broken the single match record with 27 kills in a loss to Plymouth State. After the 2-0 day on Saturday in which she recorded 44 total kills, Mancini eclipsed 300 kills for the season (313 currently), and 600 for her career (643 currently). For the week, Mancini averaged 4.93 kills/set, 0.36 aces/set and 1.57 digs/set, all while hitting at a .325 clip. This is Mancini's second honor of the season, the first of which came on September 25.
For Pierce, the Libero of the Week nod follows a week in which she averaged exactly four digs/set, totaling 56 digs in her 14 sets played. The libero also collected 13 assists and two aces, all while receiving at a .971 clip. Pierce posted 22 digs in the team's five set thriller against Tufts while also adding three assists and an ace. Against WPI earlier in the day on Saturday, the Carpinteria, Calif. native picked up 17 digs in the sweep as she averaged 5.67 digs/set, to go with five assists. Her 56 digs for the week broke a tie between her and Tori McIntyre (San Diego, Calif.) '16 for eighth place in the all-time career digs record book. Pierce currently has 1,380 career digs. This is her first Libero of the Week nod of the season.
The duo will look to lead the Gulls on the road this week as Endicott travels to the University of New England on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., and at Nichols on Saturday for an 11:00 a.m. start. For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.