Posted: Oct 09, 2018
BEVERLY, Mass. - After a 2-1 week that saw the Gulls remain perfect in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play, Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.), Amanda Gilbert (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Mackenzie Kennedy (Andover, Mass.) swept the weekly CCC awards as was announced by the league on Tuesday.
After leading the Endicott offense in a 2-1 week in which she averaged 11.27 assists/set, 2.27 digs/set and .27 aces/set, junior Zoey Gifford received her first ever CCC Player of the Week honor. The setter started the week with 36 assists and six digs in the team's 3-0 sweep of cross-town rival Gordon and followed it up with a 47 assist, 11 dig effort in the team's 3-1 win over Plymouth St., for her 10th double-double of the year. The Natick, Mass. native finished with 41 assists and eight digs against Babson in the team's 3-1 setback, a team ranked eighth in the most recent NEWVA poll. For the season, Gifford is now averaging a conference best 10.67 assists/set on the season, nearly two assists higher than the next closest mark, and 10.63 assists/set against CCC foes, also best in the league. Her 2.69 digs/set on the season are also 20th in the league.
For the second consecutive week, freshman Amanda Gilbert has been named the CCC Rookie of the Week. The outside played in two matches for the Gulls, finishing as the kill leader, or tied for the kill lead, in both. Gilbert started the week with a flawless 12 kills performance on 21 attempts with no errors while hitting .571 in the team's 3-0 sweep of Gordon in which she also chipped in three digs and an assist block against the Fighting Scots. The freshman closed the week with a 13 kill, four dig, two block effort in the team's 3-1 loss to Babson. Gilbert's 13 kills came on 31 attempts with just three errors to hit .323. For the week, the freshman outside averaged 3.57 kills/set, 1.00 digs/set, .43 blocks/set and 3.8 points/set while hitting .423.
For the fourth time this season, Kennedy was named the CCC Libero of the Week. Kennedy was instrumental in anchoring an Endicott defense that held all three opponents below their season average in a 2-1 week. The junior started the week with 13 digs in the team's 3-0 sweep of Gordon, holding the Fighting Scots to a .115 average, lowering their average to .181 on the season. The Andover, Mass. native followed it up with 14 digs in the team's 3-1 win over Plymouth St., holding the Panthers to a .135 clip, to lower their season average to .158. In the team's 3-1 setback to Babson, she finished with 24 digs as the Gulls held the Beavers to a .210 average in the match, bringing their season average down to .235. For the week, Kennedy averaged 4.64 digs/set and .55 assists/set.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)