MAAC Volleyball All-MAAC Teams and Major Award Winners Announced
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced the 2018 Volleyball All-MAAC Teams, major award winners, and All-Championship Team. Award recipients were honored this evening at the league’s annual volleyball awards show.
The 2018 MAAC Volleyball Player of the Year is Claire Archibald of Iona College. The senior was a unanimous selection by the league’s head coach. Archibald, who was the Preseason Co-Player of the Year, led the league in kills/set with 3.88 and point/set at 4.28. Archibald was also eighth in the league in digs/set with 3.58 per set. The California native was a four-time player of the week in 2018 and recorded 22 double-doubles this season; including a 23-kill and 35-dig performance against Rider on October 3.
Emma Rose, Archibald’s teammate, is the 2018 MAAC Volleyball Setter of the Year. Rose averaged 11.67 assists/set, which was tops in the MAAC by a full assist. The senior was also tied for fifth in service aces/set with 0.35. The Connecticut native had three matches inside the top 10 in assists in the MAAC. Rose had the most assists in a three-set match in the MAAC with 49 at Niagara University and posted 42 assists three different times in three-set matches.
Sofia Lopez Acosta takes home the 2018 MAAC Volleyball Libero of the Year. The senior posted 5.47 digs/set, which led the MAAC. Lopez Acosta topped 30 digs twice; November 16 against Rider with 32 and against Loyola Chicago on September 8 with 31. The Mexicali, Mexico native also had 12 other games of at least 20 digs. From the service line, Lopez Acosta tallied 35 services aces.
Karen Ramiu of Saint Peter’s University was named the 2018 MAAC Volleyball Rookie of the Year. Ramiu led the Peacocks in kills/set (3.81), which also placed the first-year Peacock second in the MAAC behind only Archibald. Ramiu was also second to Archibald in points/set at 4.24. The Puerto Rico native finished the season with nine-straight games of 10-plus kills. That stretch included back-to-back games 22 and 25 kills against Manhattan and Rider respectively.
Iona head coach Patric Santiago is the BSN Sports MAAC Coach of the Year. Santiago guided the Gaels to a 16-2 record in the MAAC and the program’s first outright MAAC Regular Season Title. The fourth-year head coach and the Gaels went on a 12-game MAAC winning streak in 2018. It is Santiago’s first MAAC Coach of the Year Honor.
| Major Award Winners |
| Award |
Name |
Institution |
| Player of the Year |
Claire Archibald* |
Iona |
| Setter of the Year |
Emma Rose* |
Iona |
| Libero of the Year |
Sofia Lopez Acosta |
Canisius |
| Rookie of the Year |
Karen Ramiu |
Saint Peter’s |
| BSN Sports Coach of the Year |
Patric Santiago |
Iona |
| All-MAAC First Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Sara Wesley |
Middle Hitter |
Canisius |
| Leah Simmons |
Middle Hitter |
Canisius |
| Claire Archibald* |
Outside Hitter |
Iona |
| Emma Rose* |
Setter |
Iona |
| Nikki DeSerpa |
Outside Hitter |
Marist |
| Kat Miller* |
Right Side |
Quinnipiac |
| Hailey Riede |
Right Side |
Rider |
| All-MAAC Second Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Cassidy Ceriani# |
Setter |
Canisius |
| Sofia Lopez Acosta |
Libero |
Canisius |
| Luci Albertson# |
Middle Blocker |
Fairfield |
| Mayda Garcia |
Outside Hitter/Right Side |
Fairfield |
| Jamie Smith |
Setter/Right Side |
Iona |
| Caroline Leitch |
Outside Hitter |
Niagara |
| Rachelle Runyon |
Libero |
Rider |
| Karen Ramiu |
Outside Hitter/Right Side |
Saint Peter’s |
| All-Rookie Team |
| Name |
Position |
Institution |
| Camila Vazquez* |
Middle Hitter |
Canisius |
| Melina Woods# |
Right Side |
Canisius |
| Alexis Rich* |
Setter |
Fairfield |
| Laura Seeger |
Outside Hitter |
Fairfield |
| Vivian Donovan# |
Outside Hitter |
Manhattan |
| Lydia Jones |
Middle Hitter |
Quinnipiac |
| Anilee Sher |
Setter |
Rider |
| Alanis Alvarado# |
Outside Hitter |
Saint Peter’s |
| Karen Ramiu* |
Outside Hitter/Right Side |
Saint Peter’s |
*-unanimous selection
#-tied selection
| 2018 MAAC Volleyball All-Championship Team |
| Sydney Williams |
Fairfield |
| Anilee Sher |
Rider |
| Sofia Lopez Acosta |
Canisius |
| Sara Wesley |
Canisius |
| Claire Archibald |
Iona |
| Emma Rose |
Iona |
| Most Valuable Player |
| Mia Bonsignore |
Iona |
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 38th year of competition during the 2018-19 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.