Gilbert Named NEWVA Co-Player of the Year; Four Gulls Garner All-Region Recognition
BEVERLY, Mass. - The New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) released its All-Region honors earlier this month, and Endicott saw four members garner recognition, highlighted by Amanda Gilbert (Hopkinton, Mass.), who was named Co-Player of the Year. Gilbert was also named NEWVA All-New England First Team, a distinction that was also bestowed upon Colleen McAvoy (Coventry, Conn.). Emma Ruel (Duxbury, Mass.) and Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) also received Honorable Mention recognition for their efforts this fall.
BEVERLY, Mass. - The New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) released its All-Region honors earlier this month, and Endicott saw four members garner recognition, highlighted by Amanda Gilbert (Hopkinton, Mass.), who was named Co-Player of the Year. Gilbert was also named NEWVA All-New England First Team, a distinction that was also bestowed upon Colleen McAvoy (Coventry, Conn.). Emma Ruel (Duxbury, Mass.) and Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) also received Honorable Mention recognition for their efforts this fall.
Gilbert becomes the first in program history to earn NEWVA Player of the Year honors, as she adds to her impressive haul of individual honors in 2022. Gilbert has already been named AVCA All-Region and AVCA Second Team All-America, Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Player of the Year and All-CCC First Team. The graduate outside finished the season leading the team in nearly every offensive category, including kills (377), kills/set (3.66), service aces (43), aces/set (.42), points (439.5) and points/set (4.3), while also standing out defensively with her 297 digs, for an average of 2.88 per set. Gilbert also eclipsed the 1,000 career kill plateau during the 2022 campaign, finishing her career with 1,119, as she helped lead the Gulls back to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season after helping Endicott sweep Gordon 3-0 in the CCC championship match. This is Gilbert's second career NEWVA honor, as she was named to the Second Team in 2021.
McAvoy finished her decorated career with a First Team nod for the second straight season, and gives her NEWVA honors in every season of her career. The middle started her career being named to the All-Rookie Team, before garnering Honorable Mention honors in 2019, and First Team honors in 2021 & 2022. The awards add to her impressive resume that includes an AVCA Third Team All-America honor in 2021, AVCA First Team All-Region nods in 2022 and 2021, Honorable Mention in 2019 & 2018, and AVCA Regional Rookie of the Year in 2018. McAvoy led the team in hitting percentage (.310), blocks (91) and blocks/set (.92), while she finished second on the team in points (280.5), points/set (2.8), aces (36) and aces/set (.36). McAvoy was also fourth in kills (193) and kills/set (1.95).
For Ruel, the NEWVA All-Region Honorable Mention distinction represents her first all-region honor of her young career. The libero was dominant throughout the season, finishing with a team-best 351 digs, good for 3.82 digs/set. The Duxbury, Mass. native also added 28 aces (.30/set), and 62 assists on the season. Ruel posted 19 double-digit dig efforts on the season, with a season-best 24 in the team's 3-1 win over Brandeis. The sophomore eclipsed 20 digs on two other occasions, posting 20 in 3-1 wins over Bowdoin and Salve Regina.
As a freshman, Koelb teamed up to help run a highly efficient 6-2 offense this season. Koelb's season was cut short by injury, but the Auburn, N.H. native finished with 422 assists, for an average of 4.74 assists/set, marks that were both good for second on the roster. The setter also posted 171 digs (1.92/set), 25 aces (.28/set), marks that were good for fifth and sixth highest, respectively. Her NEWVA All-Region Honorable Mention recognition gives her a second post-season accolade after she was named to the All-CCC Third Team earlier this fall.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)