EDISON, NJ, (Nov. 20, 2025) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announces the 2025 Volleyball postseason awards, voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Headlining this year’s major award winners is the 2025 MAAC Player of the Year, Kiannisha Santiago from Rider University. The senior opposite from San Juan, Puerto Rico earns her first major award after a standout season where she appeared in all 29 matches and ranked inside the conference’s top five in five statistical categories, including attacks per set, (9.76), kills per set, (3.92), and points, (468). Santiago delivered 396 kills and 210 digs on the year, highlighted by a dominant performance on October 21 against Niagara University, where she tallied a season-high 25 kills and 28 points. She previously earned All-MAAC First Team honors in 2024 and All-MAAC Second Team recognition in 2023, continuing her rise as one of the conferences' premier talents.
Niagara University's Mia Schaefer earns her first major conference award as the 2025 Libero of the Year, along with her first All-MAAC Second Team selection. Schaefer, a sophomore from Willoughby, OH, has been a defensive force all season, leading the MAAC and ranking top three nationally in digs per set, (5.98). Appearing in every game this season, Schaefer sits just behind Sacred Heart’s Miliani Villarreal in total digs, finishing the regular season with 548. She posted a season-high 33 digs on November 15 against Merrimack, and in Niagara’s match vs. Saint Peter’s on November 1, recorded another season’s best with eight assists, four points, and four aces.
Winning MAAC Setter of the Year honors for the third consecutive season is Quinnipiac University’s, Damla Gunes, who also garnered the honors in 2023 and 2024. A Senior from Bursa, Turkey, Gunes was selected to the All-MAAC First Team for the third straight season as well. Appearing in all 30 matches this season, Gunes ranks second in the conference in total assists (1,053), while also placing among the top 20 nationally. She recorded a season-high 55 assists and four kills against Presbyterian on September 21 and added 290 digs over the course of the season, showcasing her overall impact on the court.
A freshman from Attleboro, MA Julia Leonardo has been named 2025 Rookie of the Year. Leonardo has earned three MAAC Rookie of the Week honors following her performances at the Seton Hall Classic on 9/9, matches against Niagara and Canisius, and her matches against Rider and Saint Peter’s. Leonardo ranks among the top three in the conference in kills per set (3.55), points per set (4.01), and total attacks (1,079). Appearing in all 29 matches this season, Leonardo recorded a season high of 30 kills, and 31.5 points against Saint Peter’s on October 25. Over the course of the season, she totaled 429.5 points and added 39 digs, establishing herself as one of the conferences' most impactful first year players.
Quinnipiac University’s Kyle Robinson has been named the 2025 MAAC Coach of the Year, earning the honor for the first time in his six-year tenure with the Bobcats. Quinnipiac’s all-time winningest coach, Robinson has guided the program to an appearance in every MAAC Championship since he took over the program and led the team to the 2022 MAAC Championship title. During the 2025 season, Robinson steered the Bobcats to a 16-2 conference record highlighted by a 13-match winning streak since mid-October. Under his leadership, Quinnipiac led the conference in five statistical categories including aces per set (1.84), team assists (1,421), and team kills (1,526) while ranking among the top-five in eight additional categories including team total attacks (4,266) and digs per set (15.62).
Fairfield led the way with a league-high four All-MAAC selections, which included three members on the first team. Rider, Quinnipiac, Canisius and Sacred Heart all followed, placing three total athletes on teams. Quinnipiac tied with Fairfield, each placing three players on the First Team.
The full list of All-MAAC Teams and major awards winners are below.
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2025 Volleyball Major Awards
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Awards
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Player
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School
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Player of the Year
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Kiannisha Santiago
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Rider
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Libero of the Year
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Mia Schaefer
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Niagara
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Setter of the Year
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Damla Gunes
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Quinnipiac
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Rookie of the Year
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Julia Leonardo
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Iona
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Coach of the Year
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Kyle Robinson
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Quinnipiac
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All-MAAC First Team
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Player
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Class
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Position
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School
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Kiannisha Santiago
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Sr.
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Opposite
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Rider
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Mamie Krubally
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Jr.
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Right Side
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Fairfield
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Elena Giacomini
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Gr.
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Opposite
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Quinnipiac
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Yagmur Gunes
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Sr.
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Outside Hitter
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Quinnipiac
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Damla Gunes
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Sr.
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Setter
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Quinnipiac
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Maya Walker
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Sr.
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Middle Blocker
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Fairfield
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Allie Elliott
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Sr.
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Outside Hitter
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Fairfield
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Ella Bourque
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Sr.
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Setter
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Canisius
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All-MAAC Second Team
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Player
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Class
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Position
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School
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Julia Leonardo
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Fr.
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Outside Hitter
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Iona
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Carley McAleavey
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Gr.
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Middle Hitter
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Rider
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Doga Diraz
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Jr.
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Right Side
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Siena
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Bella Mosquera
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Sr.
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Middle Blocker
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Canisius
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Mia Schaefer
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So.
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Libero
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Niagara
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Miliani Villarreal
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So.
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Libero
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Sacred Heart
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Sara Dasic
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Jr.
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Outside Hitter
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Marist
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Makenna Mason
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Jr.
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Setter
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Rider
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All-MAAC Rookie Team
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Player
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Class
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Position
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School
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Julia Leonardo
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Fr.
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Outside Hitter
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Iona
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Mary Claire Deacy
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Fr.
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Right Side
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Siena
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Emma Bortolotti
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Fr.
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Right Side
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Fairfield
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Hanna Kaczynska
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Fr.
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Right Side
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Manhattan
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Ryleigh Short
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Fr.
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Outside Hitter
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Sacred Heart
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Mallory Reck
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Fr.
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Outside Hitter
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Marist
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Abbie Hagedorn
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Fr.
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Outside Hitter
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Sacred Heart
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Madison Cowan
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Fr.
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Outside Hitter/Libero
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Canisius
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The 2025 MAAC Volleyball Championship is a six-team, single-elimination championship taking place November 18 - November 23, 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 will be played on November 22and the championship final can be played on November 23. For all information regarding the 2025 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 College.
Stay up to date with the MAAC on social media by following @MAACSports on X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads or visit MAACSports.com for all the latest MAAC news.