Iona’s Paolucci, Fairfield’s Nicolini, and Rider’s Romano Secure MAAC Volleyball Weekly Awards
Libero of the Week
Jessica Paolucci, Iona
R-Sr., Lake Mary, FL/Lake Mary
In a pair of wins against Saint Peter's and Manhattan, Paolucci had 5.29 digs per set and 1.00 assists per set. She had 23 digs against the Peacocks and 14 in three sets against the Jaspers.
Player of the Week
Manuela Nicolini, Fairfield
Sr., Castelnuovo Rangone, Italy/Istituto d’Arte A. Venturi
Nicolini posted a double-double in all three of the Stags' MAAC wins this past week. She distributed 11.82 assists per set while guiding the Stags to a .245 team hitting percentage in 11 frames of action. Individually, four Fairfield hitters hit at a clip of .275 or better for the week with five Stags averaging more than 1.70 kills per frame. Nicolini added 3.55 digs per set and filled out the stat sheet with nine blocks, eight service aces and two kills.
Rookie of the Week
Morgan Romano, Rider
Fr., Oviedo, FL/Hagerty
Freshman opposite Morgan Romano was stellar at the net for the Broncs as Rider moved into second-place in the MAAC standings last week. In matches against Fairfield and Quinnipiac, Romano averaged 4.14 kills per set, 1.57 digs per set, 1.43 blocks per set and 5.00 points per set. In a four-set loss to the Stags, she had 15 kills, five digs and two total blocks. She followed that up with 14 kills, six digs and a career-high eight total blocks. She leads the MAAC in total kills, kills per set, total points and points per set. She currently ranks third in the country in total points and fourth in all of Division I in total kills. She is just the second Rider freshman ever to record over 475 kills.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.