BEVERLY, Mass. - Adding to an already impressive collection of all-region honors for the Endicott women's volleyball program, Mackenzie Kennedy (Andover, Mass.), Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.) and Colleen McAvoy (Coventry, Conn.) received New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) All-Region nods on Friday. Kennedy was named to the NEWVA All-New England First Team, while Gifford was named to the Second Team, and McAvoy received Honorable Mention honors.
The three accolades come one day after Endicott saw five student-athletes earn AVCA DIII All-Region recognition.
MACKENZIE KENNEDY | NEWVA All-New England First Team
Kennedy's NEWVA All-New England First Team honor is the first NEWVA honor in her distinguished career. The nod comes one day after she was named AVCA All-Region as well. Kennedy's eye-popping senior campaign has seen her become the first two-time Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Libero of the Year in program history. Overall on the season, Kennedy averaged 5.51 digs/set and .62 assists/set while committing just 20 receive errors on 494 attempts, for a .960 receive percentage. The 5.51 digs/set are second all-time in single-season program history. Against nationally and regionally ranked opponents, Kennedy was just as stellar, averaging 5.43 digs/set and .74 assists/set while committing only nine receive errors on 262 attempts, for a .966 average. In the team's 3-0 sweep of then No. 14 Christopher Newport, the Andover, Mass. native posted 25 digs, averaging 8.33/set, while she finished with 27 in the team's 3-1 setback to No. 20 Mary Hardin-Baylor.
ZOEY GIFFORD | NEWVA All-New England Second Team
After becoming the second student-athlete in program history to repeat as CCC Player of the Year, Gifford has been named to the NEWVA All-New England Second Team for the first time in her career. In 2018, Gifford was named to the NEWVA All-New England Third Team. The Natick, Mass. native also garnered AVCA All-Region honors yesterday, becoming the first student-athlete in program history to earn AVCA All-Region honors three times in a career. Gifford's NEWVA All-New England Second Team nod comes during a year in which she has climbed up the Endicott women's volleyball career record books, currently sitting in third all-time for career assists with 3,511. For the season, the senior has averaged 9.79 assists/set, 2.91 digs/set, .56 kills/set and .32 aces/set overall. Against regionally and nationally-ranked opponents, Gifford averaged 9.26 assists/set, 2.91 digs/set, 0.53 kills/set and .26 aces/set. The setter eclipsed the 50 assist plateau twice against ranked opponents. The first effort came in the team's 3-1 setback to then-No. 20 Mary Hardin-Baylor with her 52 assist and 17 digs, while the second came during the team's 3-1 win over Emerson, in which she posted 53 assists and 15 digs.
COLLEEN MCAVOY | NEWVA All-New England Honorable Mention
One season after being named to the NEWVA All-Rookie Team as a freshman, McAvoy garnered NEWVA All-New England Honorable Mention honors in 2019. The honors come during a season in which she also was named to the AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention for the second time in her young career. For the season, McAvoy hit .326, while averaging a career-best 2.45 kills/set and 3.2 points/set. The middle also averaged .76 blocks/set and .37 aces/set in 2019. Against regionally and nationally-ranked opponents, McAvoy hit .292 while averaging 2.28 kills/set, .64 blocks/set, .24 aces/set and 2.89 points/set. In Endicott's 3-2 win over Amherst, McAvoy posted a season-high 17 kills while .519 to go with five blocks.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott (23-7) will take on Bowdoin in the opening round of the NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Tournament this evening at 5:30 PM. All matches in the regional pod will be hosted at Tufts in Medford, Mass.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10/Nick Grace '20)