DANBURY, CT – Freshman Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagery of the Rider University volleyball team continued to rack up postseason awards on Thursday afternoon. Romano was honored as the ECAC Rookie of the Year and she also was named to the All-ECAC Team as announced by the organization.
Romano became the first Bronc in program history to earn an ECAC major award.
"As a program, we are honored and humbled to hear the news of Morgan receiving the awards from the ECAC," Rider Head Coach
Jeff Rotondo said. "Morgan had an exceptional first season with our program, and to receive Rookie of the Year honors as well as make the All-ECAC team shows that others saw her success as well. Throughout the year, Morgan did an exceptional job of just putting her head down and going to work, without letting the weekly attention get to her. She was also quick to defer her success to the team and her teammates, which is something that will help her continue to grow into her future seasons here."
Romano had one of the best freshman campaigns in program history. She was named the MAAC Rookie of the Week a conference-best 12 times. She was also named the MAAC Player of the Week twice in 2019. She is the only freshman in history of the MAAC to earn weekly honors every week of the regular season.
Romano led the MAAC in total kills (534), kills per set (4.64), total points (602.5) and points per set (5.24). She also registered a team-high 12 double-doubles this past autumn. Romano is currently 12th in the nation in both total points and total kills. She is the top freshman in all of Division I in both of those categories. Romano is also 14th in the country and the top freshman in points per set. She is 17th in the country and the top freshman in kills per set as well.
Romano became the first Bronc freshman to record over 500 kills since Amy Ford had 526 in 1992. She had the most kills and kills per set by a player in the MAAC since 2009 when Siena's Burgandy McCurty had 575 kills and 5.37 kills per set.