Fairfield's Nicolini, Marist's Brierley & Iona's Smith Earn MAAC Volleyball Weekly Honors
Player of the Week
Manuela Nicolini, Fairfield
So., Castelnuovo Rangone, Italy/Istituto d’Arte A. Venturi
Manuela Nicolini managed the Stags’ attack for a pair of MAAC wins, dishing out 11.86 assists per set in seven frames. In Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Rider, Nicolini recorded 45 assists, 11 digs, six kills, and seven blocks. She added 38 assists in a Sunday sweep of Saint Peter’s, as well as two kills, six digs, and a block against the Peacocks.
Libero of the Week
Katie Brierley, Marist
Jr., DS, East Hampton, NY/East Hampton
Katie Brierley averaged 4.73 digs per set to help Marist begin MAAC play (2-1) after a pair of shutout victories on the road. In a sweep of Siena on Tuesday, September 19, she finished one dig shy of a season-high with 26, and dished out four assists. She racked up double-digit digs for the ninth time this year against Niagara on Saturday, September 23, and finished with nine digs, and a service ace the following day in a 3-0 win at Canisius. Brierley leads the Red Foxes with 167 digs this season.
Rookie of the Week
Jamie Smith, Iona
Fr., S, Massapequa, NY/Massapequa
Jamie Smith takes home her second consecutive MAAC Rookie of the Week honor, and her third of the season. The freshman helped the Gaels to a (2-1) week by averaging 3.11 kills, 2.56 digs, 2.22 assists, and 0.67 digs per set. She tallied 14 assists and 14 digs to go along with six kills, and four block assists against Saint Peter’s in three sets before posting 11 kills and three digs vs. Manhattan. She ended the week with 11 kills and six digs with six assists against NJIT.