Player of the Week/
Rookie of the Week
Julia Leonardo, Iona
Fr., Attleboro, MA, Attleboro
Freshman outside hitter Julia Leonardo delivered a historic weekend performance, totaling 52 kills and hitting .350 across 10 sets against Rider and Saint Peter's. Averaging 5.20 kills, 1.10 digs, and 5.65 points per set, Leonardo continued to shine as one of the MAAC's most dynamic newcomers. She opened the weekend with 22 kills on .319 hitting, adding seven digs and a perfect 6-for-6 serve-receive effort against Rider. The following day, Leonardo erupted for a career-high 30 kills versus Saint Peter's - just the second 30-kill match in Iona history and the only other in the MAAC this season aside from Quinnipiac's Elena Giacomini. She hit .375 in the match, adding three blocks, four digs, and a perfect 9-for-9 in serve receive to cap an outstanding two-match stretch.
Co-Libero of the Week
Brenda Reynaga, Canisius
Jr., Aurora, IL, Binghamton/Metea Valley
Junior Brenda Reynaga tallied 51 digs over two matches to average 5.67 digs per set as the Golden Griffins completed a perfect weekend, downing Marist and Siena to extend the win streak to six. One of eight newcomers this season, Reynaga tallied 20 digs against Marist followed by a 31 digs performance against Siena.
Co-Libero of the Week
Mia Schaefer, Niagara
So., Willoughby, OH, Lake Catholic High School
Mia Schaefer recorded 38 digs in a 2-0 weekend for Niagara with sweeps over Siena and Marist. Against Siena, she tallied 20 digs and versus Marist, she posted 18 digs. Additionally, Schaefer recorded 11 assists and 2 aces in six sets.
Setter of the Week
Damla Gunes, Quinnipiac
Sr., Bursa, Turkey, Sahinkaya Academy
Damla Gunes appeared in all seven sets for the Bobcats on their 2-0 weekend. Gunes recorded 36 assists in the sweep over Fairfield and 38 assists in the four-set win over Sacred Heart for a total of 74 assists on the weekend. Gunes recorded double-doubles in both matches as she recorded 10 digs on Friday and 13 on Saturday for a total of 23 on the weekend.
The 2025 MAAC Volleyball Championship is a six-team, single-elimination championship taking place November 18 - November 24, 2025. The first round will be hosted by the #3 and #4 seeds. The semifinal round and championship final will be hosted by the #1 seed. The semifinals can be played between November 21-23, and the championship final can be played between November 22-24. For all information regarding the 2024 MAAC Volleyball Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/vb.
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 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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