Mackenzie Kennedy Selected As Endicott’s NCAA Woman Of The Year Nominee

KENNEDY'S NCAA APPLICATION LETTER - "MY WHY?" 

FEATURE STORIES: EAGLE TRIBUNE FEATURE | LIVING OUT A DREAM

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott women's volleyball student-athlete Mackenzie Kennedy (Andover, Mass.) has been chosen as Endicott's NCAA Woman of the Year nominee.

Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service, and leadership. A record 585 student-athletes were nominated by NCAA member schools for the Woman of the Year Award, including 192 from Division III.

Kennedy and Kendra MacDonald (Lebanon, N.H.) from the University of New England are now eligible to be selected as the Commonwealth Coast Conference's (CCC) nominee by the league's Senior Woman Administrators later this month.

Since 2015, Endicott has had three student-athletes selected as the CCC's nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, the most by any institution in the league during that span. Kennedy now has a chance to join Abigail Keim '19 (Williston, Vt.), Emylee Wood '18 (Kensington, N.H.), and Samantha DiBella '16 (Danvers, Mass.) on that illustrious list.

"I am extremely impressed with what I saw Mackenzie accomplish and who she strived to become in her four years here. Her work ethic, tenacity, and attitude were inspirational and she never settled for average," said Endicott women's volleyball head coach Tim Byram. "Whether in the classroom, at a clinical, in the weight room, or on the court, she was always perusing excellence and encouraging others to do the same. The model she set will live on long beyond her time at Endicott and that's why she's easy to cheer on and support as the department's NCAA Woman of the Year!"

The "model" Kennedy set for her teammates and others around her includes a myriad of accomplishments in all facets of the Endicott student-athlete experience.

Here's a complete list of Kennedy's accolades sorted by academics, athletics, internships/clinicals, and volunteer work.

Academics

• Major: Athletic Training | GPA: 3.82
• Athletic Training Magna Cum Laude honors
• Endicott Scholars Program (four years)
• Senior Thesis Topic: "Breathe Slow, Move Fast: A Study of the Effects of Meditation on Concussion Rehabilitation in Athletes"
• 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team
• 2019 CCC Academic All-Conference
• 2018 CCC Academic All-Conference
• 2017 CCC Academic All-Conference
• 8x Dean's List 
• National Athletic Training Association (NATA) District I Student Ambassador (2018-20)

Athletics

• 3x NSCA Strength & Conditioning All-American
• 2019 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention
• 2019 AVCA All-New England First Team
• 2018 AVCA All-New England Honorable Mention
• 2019 CCC Libero of the Year
• 2018 CCC Libero of the Year
• 2019 All-CCC First Team
• 2018 All-CCC First Team
• 8x CCC Libero of the Week
• 1x CCC Rookie of the Week
• 3x CCC Champion
• 3x NCAA Tournament appearances
• 4x CCC Tournament appearances
• 2019 Team Captain
• EC L.E.A.D. Member (2018-20)

Internships/Clinicals

• Boston College Football Student Athletic Trainer (2019)
• Boston College Football Camps Certified Medical Spotter (2019)
• Boston College Men's Basketball Student Athletic Trainer (2019)
• Boston College Men's Ice Hockey Student Athletic Trainer (2018-19)
• Endicott College Men's Lacrosse, Women's Lacrosse, Baseball, & Men's Ice Hockey Student Athletic Trainer
• Hamilton-Wenham High School Varsity Football Student Athletic Trainer (2018)
• Drumhill Physical Therapy PT Aide (2016-17)
• Institute of Performance and Fitness Strength and Conditioning Coach
• CPR/AED Certification Aide (2019)

Volunteer Work

• ALS Ice Bucket Challenge (2017-19)
• Endicott Athletic Training Food Drive (2016-19)
• Will Archibald Wheelchair Basketball Scholarship Fundraiser (2016-19)
• Rise Against Hunger Food Packaging (2017-19)
• Habitat For Humanity (2017)
• Endicott Athletics Toy Drive (2016-19)
• Andover Boys and Girls Club (2016-18)

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH COAST CONFERENCE

The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), founded in 1984, is an NCAA Division III athletic conference comprised of nine full-member and two associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition, and a meaningful student life. The conference administers championships in 18 intercollegiate sports. In 2020, the conference will expand to 10 full members and 19 championship sports with the addition of Suffolk University and women's ice hockey, respectively.

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)