BEVERLY, Mass. – Five members of the Endicott women's volleyball team have received postseason honors from the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), as announced by the league earlier today.
Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.), Mackenzie Kennedy (Andover, Mass.), and Colleen McAvoy (Coventry, Conn.) headlined the group as the trio was awarded CCC Player of the Year, CCC Libero of the Year, and CCC Rookie of the Year honors, respectively.
Gifford and Kennedy also earned spots on the CCC All-Conference First Team along with Emma Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.), while McAvoy was named to the CCC All-Conference Second Team. Amanda Gilbert (Hopkinton, Mass.) rounded out the list of award winners for the Gulls as the freshman claimed CCC All-Conference Third Team accolades.
ZOEY GIFFORD | CCC PLAYER OF THE YEAR | CCC ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Gifford is the fourth student-athlete in program history to earn CCC Player of the Year honors joining Mancini, Tori McIntyre '17 (San Diego, Calif.) and Endicott Hall of Famer Meghan Hall '08 (Santa Cruz, Calif.) on the list.
Mancini received CCC Player of the Year honors last year after McIntyre won the award in 2015 and 2016. Meanwhile, Hall was the first student-athlete in program history to garner CCC Player of the Year honors back in 2006.
Endicott's current string of four consecutive CCC Player of the Year award winners (Gifford – 2018, Mancini – 2017, McIntyre – 2015 & 2016) is the longest streak ever in women's volleyball conference history.
As for Gifford's numbers this season, the junior setter has played in 28 matches (99 sets) and compiled 1,058 assists (10.69 per set). Both her total assists and assists per set figures rank first in the CCC and No. 18 and No. 14 nationally, as of 10/29/18 among 250 ranked NCAA Division III setters.
Gifford also has registered 40 service aces (8th in CCC), 267 digs (10th in CCC, 2.70 digs per set, 21st in CCC) and guided Endicott to the second-best kills per set (12.47) and hitting percentage (.211) totals in the CCC. Nationally, the Gulls rank No. 81 and No. 72 in the aforementioned categories, respectively.
Along with those staggering numbers, Gifford led Endicott in double-doubles with 15 this season, dished out 40 or more assists in 15 matches, and 50 or more in two (51 season-high, twice).
MACKENZIE KENNEDY | CCC LIBERO OF THE YEAR | CCC ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Kennedy is the third student-athlete in program history to claim CCC Libero of the Year honors adding her name to the likes of Ashley Norley '13 (Sudbury, Mass.) and Brittany Nolan '09 (Monroe, Conn.) in the record books.
Kennedy, who is the first CCC Libero of the Year honoree for Endicott since 2012, has played in 27 matches (97 sets) so far in 2018. Kennedy has registered 468 digs and 4.82 digs pet set, both tops among all CCC student-athletes, and compiled a .918 serve-receive percentage (576 attempts).
The junior defensive specialist also registered 53 more digs than the second place student-athlete in the CCC, had 20 or more digs in eight matches, and a season-high 33 digs vs. Wesleyan on September 29, 2018 (tied second all-time in a four-set match). Lastly, Kennedy was only held under 10 digs in two out of her 27 matches played this season.
COLLEEN MCAVOY | CCC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR | CCC ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
McAvoy is the fifth CCC Rookie of the Year in program history and first since Mackenzie Guerre (Carlsbad, Calif.) in 2012.
In 27 matches (77 sets) in 2018, McAvoy produced 154 kills (2.00 per set), a .351 hitting percentage (2nd in CCC), and 71 total blocks (3rd in CCC, 8 solo, 63 assisted, 2nd in CCC, 0.92 per set, 2nd in CCC).
The freshman middle had five or more kills in 12 matches and 10 or more in five matches highlighted by a career-high 14 kills against Coast Guard on September 15. In that match, McAvoy hit .545 on 14 kills, two errors, and 22 total swings.
EMMA MANCINI | CCC ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Last year's CCC Player of the Year, Mancini currently ranks first in the conference in kills (337), kills per set (3.96), total attacks (964), and points (380.0) in 25 matches played (85 sets). Meanwhile, nationally, Mancini is ranked No. 31 in kils per set, No. 40 in points per set, and No. 48 in total kills.
Mancini also registered 10 or more kills in 19 matches this fall and 20 or more kills in five matches, highlighted by a season-high 26 kills against Amherst on September 29 (26 kills, 4 errors, 56 attacks, .393). In addition to those numbers, Mancini registered eight double-doubles as well.
AMANDA GILBERT | CCC ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
Gilbert has played in 24 matches (62) to start her rookie campaign for the Gulls and amassed 160 kills (2.58 per set, 11th in CCC), a .291 hitting percentage (6th in CCC), 65 digs (1.05 per set), 23 total blocks (1 solo, 22 assist), and 178.0 points (2.9 per set, 16th in CCC).
Gilbert also recorded her first and only career double-double against Wesleyan on September 29 via a career-high 15 kills (.342) and 10 digs. In total, Gilbert notched 10 or more kills in seven matches on the year.
WHAT'S NEXT
First-seeded Endicott (18-10, 7-1 CCC) will host the winner of No. 4 Roger Williams and No. 5 Gordon in the CCC Semifinals on Thursday, November 1 at 7 PM.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)