Iona’s Matschner and Pichardo and Manhattan’s Curran Named Molten MAAC Volleyball Weekly Award Winners
 
Player of the Week
Tamara Pichardo, Iona
Sr., West Nyack, NY, Clarkstown South


Senior setter Tamara Pichardo captained a dominant Gaels’ offense in their 2-0 MAAC weekend at home in wins over Siena and Niagara. Pichardo averaged 11.79 assists per set and tallied seven aces in seven sets. Her weekly averages also included 1.79 points with five kills and a block and 1.57 digs per set. In a four-set win over the Red Foxes, Pichardo had 49 assists, seven digs and six aces.  Pichardo’s performance also paced Iona to lead the MAAC in aces and rank second in assists this past week.
 
Libero of the Week
Hope Matschner, Iona
Sr., Winter Springs, Fla., Winter Springs


Senior libero Hope Matschner anchored the Gaels' defense in two MAAC home wins over Marist and Siena this past weekend. Matschner averaged 5.86 digs per set and was successful on 43 of 46 serve receptions. After a 28-dig performance in a four-set win over Marist on Saturday, she posted a match best 13 in a win over Siena the next day. Matschner was the leader of Iona's defense that held its opponent to 9.43 kills per set and a .147 overall hitting percentage.
 
Co-Rookies of the Week
Mikalah Curran, Manhattan
Fr., Commack, N.Y., Commack
 
Mikalah Curran led Manhattan to a 3-0 sweep this week. In the three-set win over Stone Hill she had 12 kills, seven digs and three blocks. In five-set win against Siena, Curran had 11 kills, 20 digs, and one block. In the five-set win over Marist, she had 21 kills, 14 digs and one block. She averaged 3.38 kills per set, 3.15 digs and 3.81 points per set. Curran’s performance helped guide Manhattan to their first three game sweep of the season.

Lauren Hubert, Canisius
Fr, Buffalo, N.Y., Sweet Home
In two matches last weekend, outside hitter Lauren Hubert posted 24 total kills, six digs and one block. Her best match of the week came against Fairfield on Oct. 21 where she had 15 kills, three digs and posted a hitting percentage of .300 (15-3-40).
 

The 2023 MAAC Volleyball Championship is a six-team, single-elimination championship taking place November 17-19, 2023 at Leo D. Mahoney Arena in Fairfield, CT. Fairfield University will serve as host of the three-day championship with the opening round on Friday, November 17, the semifinals on Saturday, November 18, and the championship match on Saturday, November 19. For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Volleyball Championship, please visit maacsports.com/vb.
 
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 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
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