BEVERLY, Mass. – Seven members of the No. 11 nationally ranked Endicott men's volleyball program have earned New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) postseason honors, as announced by the league earlier today. Bryn Lipton (Rockford, Ill.), Nikolas Kasprzak (Windham, N.H.), and George Chapell '08 headlined the group as the trio received NECC Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year accolades, respectively.
Lipton and Kasprzak were also joined on the All-NECC First Team by Donovan Dey (Fairport, N.Y.) and Gabe Felicetti (Charlestown, R.I.), while Chad Riorden (Fairport, N.Y.) claimed a spot on the All-NECC Second Team.
Meanwhile, rounding out the list of honors for the Gulls was Will Perry (San Mateo, Calif.) who was named to the Del Malloy Sportsmanship Team.
BRYN LIPTON | SR. | OH
For the second time in his illustrious career, Lipton has been named the NECC Player of the Year (2018, 2020).
Lipton accomplished the feat by averaging 3.14 kills per set (160 total) and a .337 hitting percentage (160K-46E-338TA) to go along with 0.73 service aces (37), 2.04 digs (104), 0.49 blocks (6 solo, 19 assisted), 4.2 points (212.5), and a .982 serve-receive percentage (5E-275TA) in 15 matches played (51 sets).
Against nationally ranked opponents this season, Lipton totaled 3.10 kills per set (90 total), a .274 hitting percentage (90K-32E-212TA), 0.52 service aces (15), 2.07 digs (60), 0.59 blocks (5 solo, 12 assisted), 4.00 points (116.0), and a .971 serve-receive percentage (5E-172TA).
The programs included in that list, which features any team that was at one point nationally ranked during the 2020 season, includes No. 14 UC Santa Cruz, No. 13 Wentworth, No. 4 Stevens, No. 12 MSOE, No. 7 St. John Fisher, MIT, and Vassar. The national rankings previously mentioned mark that program's national ranking at the time Endicott played against them.
Individually, Lipton was well-ranked among his NECC peers in the following categories: kills (7th), kills per set (4th), hitting percentage (2nd), service aces (2nd), service aces per set (1st), digs (17th), digs per set (10th), block solos (6th), block assists (14th), total blocks (15th), blocks per set (11th), points (5th), and points per set (3rd).
When compared to all student-athletes in Division III, Lipton ranked No. 7 in aces per set, No. 111 in digs per set (as an outside hitter among 198 ranked student-athletes), No. 34 in hitting percentage, No. 54 in kills per set, and No. 29 in points per set.
Lipton also produced a team-high four double-doubles this season, notched 15 or more kills in a match four times, and had three or more service aces in a match eight times (season-high five). Additionally, Lipton became the fifth student-athlete in program history to reach the 1,000 career kill plateau with 14 kills on 28 swings (.429) against No. 7 St. John Fisher on March 7.
Lipton currently ranks fifth all-time in kills (1,001), fourth in kills per set (3.24), second in service aces (148), third in service aces per set (0.48), first in reception percentage (.972, 1,570 receptions), and fourth in points (1239.0) and points per set (4.01).
Along with those career rankings, the senior outside is now a four-time All-NECC First Team selection, a two-time NECC Player of the Year and the 2017 NECC Rookie of the Year, among his many other All-Region and All-American accolades.
Lipton also is just the second student-athlete to earn All-Conference First Team honors four times during his career and the first outside hitter to achieve the accomplishment.
NIKOLAS KASPRZAK | FR. |MB
With today's announcement, Kasprzak became the second NECC Rookie of the Year selection in program history, joining Lipton on the list.
Kasprzak's first-year campaign was one for the record books as the middle compiled 1.42 kills per set, a .470 hitting percentage (68K-14E-115TA0), 0.69 blocks (5 solo, 28 assisted), and 1.9 points (91.0) in 16 matches (48 sets). Despite the shortened season, Kasprzak's .470 hitting percentage ranks second all-time in a single-season at Endicott (min. 100 attempts).
Meanwhile, Kasprzak's ranks among his NECC peers include the following stats: kills (20th), kills per set (18th), block solos (11th), block assists (5th), total blocks (4th), blocks per set (4th), points (21st), and points per set (18th).
Kasprzak's hitting percentage doesn't qualify to be ranked on the conference level (played in 60% of team matches/3.3 total attacks per set) or national level (played in 66.7% of team's sets/3.3 attacks per set), but it would rank first in the NECC among those student-athletes who have recorded 100 more attack attempts in this shortened-season.
Kasprzak's individual highlights included a career-high eight kills versus No. 14 UC Santa Cruz in his collegiate debut, seven matches with five kills or more, and a career-high six block assists against MIT.
DONOVAN DEY | SR. | OPP
Dey, who is now a three-time All-NECC First Team selection, posted 2.96 kills per set, a .302 hitting percentage (148K-48E-331TA), 0.34 service aces (17), 1.16 digs (58), 0.56 blocks (4 solo, 24 assisted), and 3.6 points (181.0) in 15 matches played (50 sets).
Dey's NECC rankings were abundant – kills (8th), kills per set (6th), hitting percentage (3rd), service aces (14th), service aces per set (11th), block solos (17th), block assists (9th), total blocks (11th), blocks per set (7th), points (8th), and points per set (6th) – while his national rankings included Dey being positioned No. 59 in hitting percentage, No. 70 in kills per set, and No. 59 in points per set.
In the Endicott record books, Dey is ranked No. 9 in kills (790), No. 9 in kills per set (2.62), No. 7 in hitting percentage (.307), No. 9 in points (962.0), and No. 9 in points per set (3.20).
His individual highlights this season featured one double-double (18 kills, 10 digs vs. No. 14 UC Santa Cruz), a career-high 20 kills, which he accomplished twice during the year, and four matches with 15 or more kills.
GABE FELICETTI | JR. | MB
For the first time in his career, Felicetti has earned All-NECC honors.
Felicetti produced 2.00 kills per set, a .425 hitting percentage (104K-25E-186TA), 0.35 service aces (18), 0.63 blocks (6 solo, 27 assisted), and 2.7 points (141.5) in 15 matches played this season. Among nationally ranked opponents this season (29 sets), Felicetti averaged 2.28 kills per set, a .403 hitting percentage (66K-18E-119TA), 0.72 blocks (3 solo, 18 assisted), and 2.90 points (84.0).
Felicetti also put together several top-15 NECC ranks including kills (12th), kills per set (13th), hitting percentage (1st), service aces (10th), service aces per set (10th), block solos (6th), block assists (6th), total blocks (4th), blocks per set (5th), points (11th), and points per set (12th).
Nationally, Felicetti was positioned No. 100 in aces per set, No. 113 in blocks per set, and No. 4 in hitting percentage.
His list of individual highlights this season included a career-high 17 kills (.517) in a 3-2 win against No. 4 Stevens, three matches with 10 or more kills, and three matches with five or more blocks.
CHAD RIORDEN | SR. | S
Riorden also received his first career All-NECC honor after putting together a stellar senior campaign for the Gulls.
In 16 matches played (48 sets), Riorden averaged 9.58 assists per set (460 total) to go along with 1.52 digs (73), 0.40 service aces (19), and 0.27 blocks (2 solo, 11 assisted).
Riorden's NECC ranks include being situated No. 1 in assists per set, No. 3 in total assists, No. 7 in service aces per set, and No. 8 in service aces. Meanwhile, he finished the year nationally ranked No. 21 in assists per set and No. 60 in aces per set.
His individual highlights also featured one double-double (career-high 59 assists, 12 digs), three matches with 50 or more assists, and five matches with 40 or more assists. Of those five matches with 40 or more assists, four of them occurred in back-to-back fashion against Lasell (1/29, 40), MIT (2/1, 51), Johnson & Wales (2/1, 42), and No. 13 Wentworth (2/6, 52).
GEORGE CHAPELL '08 | HEAD COACH
For the third time in his career, Chapell has earned NECC Coach of the Year honors (2014, 2017, 2020).
Chapell did so this season by guiding Endicott to a 13-3 overall record and 3-0 mark in league play.
The Gulls also made program history with a No. 4 overall ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll, which marked its highest-ever national ranking. Endicott ended up being ranked at No. 4 overall twice during the season and No. 13, No. 14, No. 8, No. 9, and most recently No. 11 throughout the season.
Also picked as the 2020 NECC preseason favorite, the Gulls defeated No. 4 Stevens, 3-2, on February 23. That win over Stevens marked the highest nationally ranked opponent the Gulls have ever defeated in program history.
Individually, Chapell reached the 150 career wins mark this season with a tri-match sweep over MIT (3-2) and Johnson & Wales (3-2) on February 1 and guided Endicott to the following NCAA rankings, No. 2 in hitting percentage (.340), No. 5 in aces per set (2.22), No. 14 in assists per set (11.46), and No. 15 in kills per set (12.17).
From a recruiting standpoint, Chapell's 2020 roster certainly served as a key indicator that he has raised Endicott's profile across the country with 70-percent of his roster featuring out-of-region students from states such as California, Colorado, Vegas, and New York, to name a few.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)
