FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Niagara University volleyball program placed three to All-MAAC teams announced on Thursday. Junior Rylee Hunt was named MAAC Co-Libero of the Year and named to the All-MAAC Second Team. Junior outside hitter Nicole Matheis earned All-MAAC Second Team honors and freshman outside hitter Caroline Leitch was selected to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
The reigning MAAC Libero of the Year shares this year’s honor with Marist’s Lexi Millington. Hunt becomes the first Purple Eagle in program history to win the award twice. Hunt was second in the MAAC with 508 total digs, while ranking third in the conference with an average of 4.62 digs per set. Hunt recorded double-digit digs in 28 out of 30 matches this season, including a streak of 24 straight matches. In the last three regular season matches, Hunt logged 30-plus digs in each match including a season-high 32 against Manhattan.
Matheis has had a career-year offensively this season, posting career-highs in kills (347), averaging 3.15 kills per set and points (393.5), with an average of 3.57 points per set. She ranks fourth in the MAAC in points and fifth in kills. Matheis had 20 matches this season with double-digit kills, and had a career-high 27 kills on Oct. 2 in the win against Quinnipiac. Matheis recorded 12 double-doubles on the year, which was second on the team behind teammate Alexis Gray’s 14. In her last eight matches of the regular season. Matheis had double-digit kills, making it her longest streak of the year. She also added five of her 12 double-doubles during that streak.
Leitch posted 260 kills for an average of 2.26 kills per set. She is third on the team in kills per set, behind Matheis and Madison May. In three of her last four regular season matches, Leitch recorded 14 or more kills including a career-high 19 kills against Fairfield. Leitch had a career-high .733 hitting percentage in the three-set win against Canisius on Oct. 13.
The MAAC also announced MAAC All-Academic honorees with Alex Stone and Matheis representing the Purple Eagles. This is Stone’s third team making the team and Matheis’ second. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
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