EDISON, NJ (Nov. 20, 2024) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) today revealed the 2024 Volleyball Major Award winners and All-MAAC Teams, voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Headlining volleyball postseason major award winners was 2024 MAAC Player of the Year, Elena Giacomini of Quinnipiac University. A graduate student from Italy, Giacomini played in all 30 matches and all 116 sets for the Bobcats during the regular season. An opposite hitter, she compiled 509.5 points, 434 kills, 1209 total attacks, 325 digs, and 71 blocks. Giacomini’s points, kills, and attacks totals ranked second in the MAAC, while her total digs ranked fifth in the league during 2024. Additionally, she recorded averages of 4.39 points, 3.74 kills, and 10.44 attacks, marks that were second-best in conference, while her 2.80 digs per set was ninth on the MAAC leaderboard.
Niagara University’s Bella Peroni was named 2024 MAAC Libero of the Year. A senior hailing from Chardon, Ohio, Peroni played in 102 sets and all 29 matches for the Purple Eagles. She had season tallies of 528 digs and 107 assists. Peroni led the MAAC and ranked 11
th nationally with her 5.18 digs per set and she was second on the MAAC charts, 16
th nationally, in total digs. She was the only player in the conference this season to have multiple matches of 30+ digs, collecting 31 digs twice in 2024.
MAAC Setter of the Year, Damla Gunes, claims the award for the second year in a row. Gunes played in 93 sets and 27 matches in the regular season for Quinnipiac. The junior from Bursa, Turkey tallied 867 assists on the year, as well as 159 digs, 24 kills and 27 blocks. Gunes was the conference leader in assists per set (9.32) and her assists total was third-best amongst the league leaders. Moreover, she added 104 service aces and 0.41 aces per set, figures that ranked eighth in the MAAC on the season.
Freshman libero, Milani Villarreal from Sacred Heart University, garnered 2024 MAAC Rookie of the Year honors. Coming off a breakout season for the Pioneers, Villarreal played a total of 113 sets and racked up 532 digs. She also tallied 199 assists, 35 service aces, and 42 points. Villarreal was the league-leader in total digs, which ranked 15
th in the NCAA, and she posted a digs average of 4.71, which was second on the MAAC rankings. She earned eight MAAC Libero of the Week awards and two MAAC Rookie of the Week awards in her first season of collegiate volleyball.
Fairfield University head coach Nancy Somera was chosen as 2024 MAAC Coach of the Year by her peers. During the 2024 campaign, she led the Stags to a 17-1 MAAC record and 19-11 overall mark, leading to the program’s 23
rd MAAC Regular Season title and the top overall seed in the MAAC Volleyball Championship field. In just two seasons at the helm of Fairfield, Somera has already won a pair of regular season trophies and guided the team to a MAAC Championship and NCAA appearance, while compiling a dominating 33-3 MAAC mark and 42-18 overall record.
The full list of All-MAAC Teams and major awards winners are below.
| 2024 MAAC Volleyball Major Awards |
| Award |
Player |
School |
| Player of the Year |
Elena Giacomini |
Quinnipiac |
| Setter of the Year |
Damla Gunes |
Quinnipiac |
| Libero of the Year |
Bella Peroni |
Niagara |
| Rookie of the Year |
Milani Villarreal |
Sacred Heart |
| Coach of the Year |
Nancy Somera |
Fairfield |
| 2024 All-MAAC First Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Allie Elliott |
Jr. |
Outside Hitter |
Fairfield |
| Maya Walker |
Jr. |
Middle Blocker |
Fairfield |
| Mamie Krubally |
So. |
Opposite Hitter |
Fairfield |
| Damla Gunes |
Jr. |
Setter |
Quinnipiac |
| Elena Giacomini |
Gr. |
Opposite Hitter |
Quinnipiac |
| Kiannisha Santiago |
Jr. |
Opposite Hitter |
Rider |
| Camryn Luginbuhl |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Sacred Heart |
| Gaby Zovko |
So. |
Setter |
Sacred Heart |
| 2024 All-MAAC Second Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Kara Zuacha |
Sr. |
Right Side Hitter |
Canisius |
| Lauren Hubert |
So. |
Left Side Hitter |
Canisius |
| Blakely Montgomery |
Sr. |
Setter |
Fairfield |
| Mikayla Haut |
Sr. |
Outside Hitter |
Fairfield |
| Bella Peroni |
Sr. |
Libero |
Niagara |
| Laryssa Imbuzeiro |
Sr. |
Middle Blocker |
Niagara |
| Molly Rohde |
So. |
Middle Hitter |
Rider |
| Paige Giehtbrock |
So. |
Outside Hitter |
Rider |
| 2024 MAAC All-Rookie Team |
| Player |
Class |
Position |
School |
| Harlan Wyche |
Fr. |
Middle Blocker |
Fairfield |
| Mija Jegers |
Fr. |
Outside Hitter |
Iona |
| Taylor Miller |
Fr. |
Outside Hitter |
Marist |
| McKenna Shotwell |
Fr. |
Outside Hitter |
Merrimack |
| Carola Negron Diaz |
FY. |
Libero |
Quinnipiac |
| Milani Villarreal |
Fr. |
Libero |
Sacred Heart |
| Valeria Pagan Munoz |
Fr. |
Outside Hitter |
Saint Peter’s |
| Salme Adele Hollas |
R.-Fr. |
Outside Hitter |
Siena |
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 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 44th year of competition during the 2024-25 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist College, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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