Gilbert Named CCC Player of the Year; Gulls Lead Conference With Seven Total All-CCC Honors

BEVERLY, Mass. - Following the Endicott women's volleyball team's run to the program's third straight Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title, graduate outside Amanda Gilbert (West Falmouth, Mass.) has been named the 2022 CCC Player of the Year while the Gulls took home a conference-best seven total All-CCC honors. 

In addition to her Player of the Year honors, Gilbert also was named to All-CCC First Team. Fellow graduate student Colleen McAvoy (Coventry, Conn.) was also named to the All-CCC First Team, while libero Emma Ruel (Duxbury, Mass.) took home Second Team honors. Rounding out the honors were Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.), Lauren McGrath (Franklin, Mass.) and Krystina Schueler (Trumbull, Conn.), as the trio all garnered Third Team All-CCC honors. 

CCC PLAYER OF THE YEAR | FIRST TEAM ALL-CCC

Amanda Gilbert | Gr. | OH | West Falmouth, Mass.

Gilbert becomes the fifth student-athlete in program history to be named CCC Player of the Year and represents the eighth Player of the Year honor in total, joining former honorees Zoey Gifford '20 (2018, 2019), Emma Mancini '18 (2017), Tori McIntyre '17 (2015, 2016) and Meghan Hall '08 (2006). Gilbert was named CCC Player of the Week four times in 2022 (9/12, 10/3, 10/11, 11/7), a mark that led the conference. To date, Gilbert has set career-highs in kills (369), attempts (940), aces (43), aces/set (.43), digs (289), digs/set (2.89), points (430.5) and points/set (4.3), while she is also currently tied for her career-high mark with a .281 hitting percentage (369-105-940). Against CCC competition, Gilbert hit at a .322 clip, and led the CCC in kills/set (3.87) and points/set (4.6). The graduate student also eclipsed the 1,000 career-kill plateau and currently stands at 1,111 heading into NCAA DIII Tournament play on Thursday. Gilbert has now been named to an All-CCC Team all four years of her career as she also garnered First Team honors in 2021, Second Team honors in 2019 and Third Team honors in 2018. 

FIRST TEAM ALL-CCC

Colleen McAvoy | Gr. | MB | Coventry, Conn.

McAvoy has been named First Team All-CCC for the second straight season and also finishes her career for the Blue and Green having earned four All-CCC distinctions. In addition to her two First Team nods, McAvoy was also named to the Second Team in 2018 and 2019. The Coventry, Conn. native leads the team in hitting percentage (.307), while her average against CCC competition (.349) is good for fourth in the conference. McAvoy also leads both the team and the CCC in overall blocks/set (.95), while her mark of 1.03 against CCC opponents was second in league play. On the season to date, McAvoy is currently second on the team in aces (35), aces/set (.36), points (272.5) and points/set (2.8), while standing fourth in kills (186) and kills/set (1.94). In 12 of her 29 matches thus far, the graduate middle has hit for a .400 average or better, including six matches hitting at least .500.

SECOND TEAM ALL-CCC

Emma Ruel | So. | L | Duxbury, Mass.

As a libero that led an Endicott defense that has limited opponents to a .178 hitting percentage on the season to this point, sophomore Emma Ruel has shined as the starting libero for the 22-8 Gulls. Endicott's defensive efforts were even more impressive against conference foes as the Gulls held CCC opponents to a .144 average on the season. Ruel, who was named CCC Libero of the Week a league-high four times throughout the 2022 season (9/12, 10/11, 10/24, 11/7), has shattered her previous season-high marks that were set during her freshman campaign in 2021. To date in 2022, the Duxbury, Mass. native has set new career-high marks in digs (333), digs/set (3.74), assists (61), assists/set (.69), aces (28), and aces/set (.31). The sophomore has recorded double-digit dig performances in 19 of her 27 matches played on the season, including a season-best 24 in the 3-1 win over Brandeis. 

THIRD TEAM ALL-CCC

Ella Koelb | Fr. | S | Auburn, N.H.

Freshman Ella Koelb has earned the first All-CCC recognition of her career after co-orchestrating a 6-2 offense with fellow Third Team honoree Lauren McGrath. With the duo guiding the offense, the Gulls hit for a league-best 12 kills/set on the season and a .232 hitting percentage against a schedule that included five nationally-ranked opponents, and 10 regionally-ranked foes, both of which were high marks for CCC programs. Koelb has collected 422 assists on the season, good for 4.74/set, while also adding 25 aces (.25/set) and 171 digs (1.92/set) overall, while averaging 4.94 assists/set, .45 aces/set and 2.06 digs/set in CCC play. The Auburn, N.H. has recorded four double-double efforts, and posted a season-high 27 assists in the 3-1 win over Brandeis.

THIRD TEAM ALL-CCC

Lauren McGrath | Sr. | S | Franklin, Mass.

Senior Lauren McGrath has earned the second All-CCC recognition of her career with her Third Team nod in 2022, after co-orchestrating a 6-2 offense with fellow Third Team honoree Ella Koelb for most of the season. With the duo guiding the offense, the Gulls hit for a league-best 12 kills/set on the season and a .232 hitting percentage against a schedule that included five nationally-ranked opponents, and 10 regionally-ranked foes, both of which were high marks for CCC programs. McGrath led the Gulls with her 539 assists and 5.44 assists/set average, while also adding 31 aces (.31/set) and 178 digs (1.8 digs/set). Against CCC competition, McGrath averaged 5.0 assists/set and 1.35 digs/set as she led the Gulls to their third straight CCC title. The senior has produced five double-double efforts on the season and stepped up to lead a 5-1 offense throughout the CCC Tournament, averaging 11.33 assists/set as the Gulls hit at a dominant .328 clip throughout their run to the championship.

THIRD TEAM ALL-CCC

Krystina Schueler | Sr. | RS | Trumbull, Conn.

Senior Krystina Schueler has garnered the first All-CCC accolade of her career with her Third Team recognition. The Trumbull, Conn. native currently sits third on the team in kills (190), points (227) and points/set (2.4) and is second on the team in kills/set (2.02) blocks (68) and blocks/set (.72). Schueler has set career-high marks with her 2.02 kills/set, 68 blocks, .72 blocks/set, 227 points and 2.4 points/set, while she is 4 kills shy of tying her career-high mark of 194. The senior's versatility was on full display throughout the CCC Tournament run for the Gulls as she averaged 1.8 kills/set, hit .333, and averaged 1.22 blocks/set, including five total in the sweep of Gordon in the CCC Championship match. In the team's 3-1 win over then No. 18 Babson, Schueler produced an 8-0-19 (.421) line while leading the team with five blocks. 

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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)