MAAC Announces 40th Anniversary Volleyball Team
MAAC Announces 40th Anniversary Volleyball Team
Edison, N.J. (Sept. 8, 2020) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40
th Anniversary throughout the 2020-21 academic year, continuing its mission to provide student-athletes the opportunity to succeed in both academics and athletics.
The 40
th Anniversary Volleyball Team highlights some of the best student-athletes in MAAC history. MAAC Volleyball traces back to 1990, where Saint Peter’s University captured the first MAAC Championship over La Salle. Since, Fairfield University leads the conference with 11 championships overall, followed by Siena College with nine and Niagara University with three.
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| Canisius College |
| Mary Boller |
2003-06 |
| Jessica (Stackhouse) Bramer |
2004-07 |
| Samantha Good |
2009-12 |
| Leah Simmons |
2016-19 |
Erin (Oveis) Brant – 1996-99
Erin (Oveis) Brant earned four varsity letters as a member of the Canisius volleyball program from 1996-99… She finished her career as the school's career leader in kills, kills per set and digs, and she still holds the program record with 1,483 total kills... Formally inducted into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2001, (Oveis) Brant currently lives in San Diego, Calif., where she is self employed as a photographer. |
| Fairfield University |
| Liz Bower |
1996-99 |
| Corrine Carlson |
1997-00 |
| Skyler Day |
2015-17 |
| Rachel Romansky |
2010-13 |
Joanne Saunders – 1998-01
Fairfield's all-time leader in kills (1,799), Joanne Saunders was a three-time All-MAAC First Team selection, a three-time MAAC All-Championship Team pick and the MVP of the 2000 MAAC Championship. The only AVCA All-Region selection in program history, Saunders went 45-1 against MAAC opponents in her career, including 10-0 in the MAAC Championship culminating with four conference titles. She posted a double-double against Pepperdine in the 2000 NCAA Championship with 27 kills and 13 digs as the Stags became the first-ever MAAC team to win a set on the national stage. |
Coach Todd Kress
Todd Kress is a record seven-time MAAC Coach of the Year and a record six-time MAAC Champion as a head coach for the Stags, claiming seven MAAC regular season titles as well. He has a record of 225-102 (.688) at Fairfield and 459-297 (.607) overall in 24 seasons as a Division I head coach, with a 116-24 (.829) record in the MAAC regular season, going unbeaten four times. Kress also has a 19-3 record (.864) in the MAAC tournament. |
| Iona College |
| Claire Archibald |
2015-19 |
| Emily Mansur |
2001-04 |
| Allison Neiters |
2007-11 |
| Catrina Warren |
2011-15 |
Miki Hogg – 2002-06
Miki Hogg '06 is an Iona College Goal Club Hall of Fame member being one of the most balanced and prolific Iona College volleyball players in program history.
At the time of her induction into Iona's Hall of Fame, Hogg was Iona's all-time leader in career points (1884.5), kills (1536) and blocks (555). She is still the programs all-time leader in blocks and kills. She is also the program's all-time leader in matches played. Hogg is second all-time in kills behind Claire Archibald.
Hogg was a two-time All-MAAC First Team honoree in her sophomore and junior seasons. She was voted the MAAC Player of the Year in 2004, the first ever Gael to win the award. As a freshman Hogg was voted to the All-MAAC Second Team. Adding onto her resume, Hogg was the first ever volleyball player selected into the Iona College Goal Club Hall of Fame.
In 2004 when Hogg was named the MAAC Player of the Year, the Maroon & Gold won their first ever league championship and earned their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. |
| Manhattan College |
| Kim Elphick |
1994-97 |
| Amy O'Dorisio |
1999-02 |
| Maggie Pfeifer |
2002-05 |
| Allie Yamashiro |
2013-16 |
Luka Van Cauteren – 2002-03
In her two years in Riverdale, Luka Van Cauteren led Manhattan to two MAAC Championships, including the first conference title in program history, in addition to becoming a two-time MAAC player of the year. Her 610 kills and 4.84 kills per set during the 2003 season remain program records, and she continues to rank among the program’s top 10 with 1,020 kills in just two seasons. In 2015, Van Cauteren became Manhattan’s first volleyball player inducted into the College’s Hall of Fame. |
| Marist College |
| Joanna Foss |
2007-11 |
| Alexandra Schultze |
2006-09 |
| Mackenzie Stephens |
2011-14 |
| Brooke Zywick |
2011-14 |
Megan Fergus – 2016-19
One of the best outside hitters in program history, Megan Fergus finished her career third on the program's all-time kills list with 1,244. She is one of two players to be in the top-10 in kills and blocks in program history as well, as she is seventh on that list with 294 career total blocks. She holds the program record with 28 kills in a single match, which she tallied in her final game against Fairfield in the 2019 MAAC semifinals. She totaled 450 kills in 2019, which was the second highest kills total in a season in program history. She went from being the MAAC Rookie of the Year in 2016 to making the All-MAAC First Team her senior year. She was also named the South Bay Battle MVP in 2019. |
Coach Tom Hanna
Tom Hanna served as head coach of Marist volleyball for nine seasons (2006-14). Hanna took over a program which had never finished in the top half of the conference prior to his arrival, and led it to a 139-134 overall mark and 89-73 record in conference play in his tenure. Marist won its first MAAC regular-season titles in 2013 and 2014, and earned berths in the MAAC final in 2009, 2013, and 2014. In 2014, the Red Foxes set program records for overall wins and conference wins by going 25-6 overall and 15-3 in MAAC play. Hanna was named MAAC Coach of the Year in both 2013 and 2014. |
| Niagara University |
| Hannah Hedrick |
2008-11 |
| Kari Honomichl |
2009-12 |
| Michelle James |
2008-12 |
| Sam Morgan |
2008-11 |
Rylee Hunt – 2014-17
A four-year starter, Hunt anchored the backline of Niagara's staunch defense. Hunt finished her career with 2,311 digs for second most in program history. Hunt ranked second in total digs and fourth in digs per set (5.1) among active career categories in the NCAA. Hunt led the team in digs in each season, is second on the career digs list, fifth on the career aces list and holds the program's record for digs in a five-set match. Hunt was a three-time recipient of the MAAC Libero of the Year award. |
| Quinnipiac University |
| Elizabeth Kloos |
2014-17 |
| Allison Leigh |
2013-16 |
| Kat Miller |
2015-18 |
| Maria Pansari |
2016-19 |
Alejandra Rodríguez – 2016-19
Alejandra Rodriguez was a four-year starter for the Bobcats and was a part of two teams that made a run to the MAAC Championship game. She received the first MAAC Libero of the Year award in program history and was a part of two All-MAAC teams in her career (2016 MAAC All-Rookie Team, 2019 All-MAAC Second Team). |
| Rider University |
| Kaitlyn Griffin |
2013-16 |
| Veronica Koval |
2014-17 |
| Jaclyn Levi |
2001-04 |
| Morgan Romano |
2019-Pres. |
Hailey Riede – 2015-18
Riede was a three-time All-MAAC First Team honoree and the 2015 MAAC Rookie of the Year. She ranks third all-time on the program kills list with 1,307. She had 315 kills, 3.12 kills per set, .270 attack percentage, 25 digs, 64 total blocks and accounted for 348.5 points as a senior and registered 10 or more kills in a match 20 times during the year, including in each of her final 11 appearances. She saved her best for her last match at Alumni Gymnasium, piling up a career-high 22 kills in a Senior Day win over Iona. |
| Saint Peter’s University |
| Tzvetomila Dotcheva |
2001-03 |
| Ludmila Kechina |
2001-04 |
| Yvette Lozanski |
1998-99 |
| Serra Soylu |
2003-06 |
Valentina Zaharieva – 1998-01
2001 Saint Peter’s graduate and 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, Valentina Zaharieva is the program’s most decorated women’s volleyball player to ever take the court in Jersey City. Selected as the 2001 MAAC Player of the Year, she is the Peacocks all-time leader in career kills, total blocks, solo blocks, points, and points per set. |
| Siena College |
| Taylor Akana |
2010-13 |
| Lesli Akeo |
2009-12 |
| April London |
2005-08 |
| Kristin May |
1993-96 |
Burgandy McCurty – 2006-09
A first-ballot Siena Hall of Fame selection in 2015, McCurty is the program's all-time leader in kills (1945), kills per-set (4.27), attack percentage (.353), points (2194) and points per-set (4.82). She also owns the single-season records for each of those categories, and put forth the second most kills in a single season in MAAC history (575) in 2005, as well as the second-best hitting percentage in league history (.427) in 2007. McCurty was the MAAC Offensive Player of the Year three times (2007-09) and a First Team All-MAAC selection in all four years as a Saint. |
Coach Hank Wysocki
Hank Wysocki was the head Coach at Siena from 1983-99, coaching in the MAAC from 1990-99. He coached Saints to MAAC Championship titles in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996, with his team advancing to the NIT in 1993 and NCAA Tournament in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Wysocki led the Saints to their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, a 3-1 win over Colgate in the 1995 NCAA play-in match. He finished his career with a 46-26 (.639) MAAC record and coached seven CoSIDA District I Academic All-Americans, three MAAC Offensive Player of the Year recipients and one MAAC Rookie of the Year. He was named the 1995 MAAC coach of the Year. |
| Former Members |
| Becky Corb (Loyola) |
2002-05 |
Nina Camaioni (Loyola) – 2007-10
Camaioni was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, and she was also honored as the conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2007. A three-time All-MAAC selection, she remains Loyola’s all-time leader in kills (1,772) and she is ranked second all-time in digs (1,697). |
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) celebrates its 40
th year of competition during the 2020-21 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.