East Coast Conference Staff Dr. Robert Dranoff Commissioner rdranoff@eccsports.org 631.348.3451
Melissa Reilly Associate Commissioner mreilly@eccsports.org 631.348.3453
Casey Rafferty Assistant Commissioner crafferty@eccsports.org 631.348.3452
The 2016 East Coast Conference Volleyball Championship Program was written, laid out and designed by Casey Rafferty, Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications, in Adobe InDesign CS5. Special thanks to the editorial assistance provided by: Bob Dranoff, Melissa Reilly, and the Sports Information Directors of the East Coast Conference.
IF i WIN I ’ L L B A C K I T U P W I T H H U M I L I T Y.
Don’t undo my hard work with poor sportsmanship.
2015 ECC Volleyball Championship November 20 - Semifinals
No. 1 Bridgeport d. No. 4 LIU Post, 3-0 No. 3 NYIT d. No. 2 Dowling, 3-1 at Bridgeport, Conn.
November 21 - Final
No. 1 Bridgeport d. No. 3 NYIT, 3-1 at Bridgeport, Conn.
Most Outstanding Player Sarah Rosa, Bridgeport
Past Champions 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Southampton NYIT Dowling Dowling Dowling Dowling Dowling Pace Dowling Dowling Mercy Mercy Mercy New Haven
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Queens Dowling Dowling Dowling Dowling Dowling Bridgeport Dowling Dowling Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport Bridgeport
UNIVERSITY OF BRIDGEPORT No. Name Yr 1 Sara Cruz Sr. 2 Ellie Rich So. 3 Frida Randen Sr. 4 Sheri Middleton Jr. 5 Salina DeCicco Sr. 6 Morgan Knight Fr. 7 Katarina Krstonosic Sr. 8 Amanda Hennemann Fr. 9 Amelie Guinci Sr. 10 Bruna Santos Jr. 11 Lexi Enck So. 12 Claire Anderson Fr. 13 Elsa Grell Fr. 15 Makayla Maroney Fr.
Pos OH S MB/RS MB DS OH OH OH L/DS RS/OH OH/DS OH/RS S MB
Ht Hometown/Previous School 5-11 Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Trinity Valley JC 5-9 Highlands Ranch, Colo./Rock Canyon 6-0 Sodertalje, Sweden/Allebergsgymnastet 6-3 Humboldt, Kansas/Ft. Scott CC 5-7 Kingston, N.Y./Kingston 5-10 Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista 5-11 Kikinda, Serbia/Arkansas-Ft. Smith 5-10 Nova Petropolis, Brazil/Colegio Cenecista Frederico Michaelsen 5-7 Cannes, France/Trinity Valley JC 5-11 Curitiba, Brazil/Trinity Valley JC 5-8 Lititz, Pa./Lititz Christian 5-10 Oak Harbor, Washington/Oak Harbor 5-8 Orebro Sweden/Virginska Skolan 5-11 Parker, Colo./Ponderosa
Coach Gary Mullin
Head Coach: Gary Mullin (3rd Season) Graduate Assistant Coach: Sarah Rosa Sara Cruz
Amelie Guinci
Quick Facts
Location: Bridgeport, Conn. Founded: 1927 Enrollment: 4,800 Nickname: Purple Knights Colors: Purple and White President: Neil Albert Salonen Director of Athletics: Anthony Vitti Arena (capacity): Harvey Hubbell Gym (1,200)
About Bridgeport
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Did You Know?
• The University of Bridgeport women’s gymnastics team has won six of the last eight USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Team Championships. • Former UB men’s swimmer Ruben Gimenez was selected as the NCAA Division II National At-Large Academic All-America of the Year in 2015 and 2015 and was honored with an NCAA Top Top Award in 2016. • The Bridgeport baseball team earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in May of 2016. • Bridgeport women’s soccer team made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Championship Semifinals last December.
Ellie Rich
An international, doctoral intensive comprehensive university, with award-winning academic programs, at the University of Bridgeport, the New England’s fastest growing university, students can earn degrees in a variety of innovative undergraduate and graduate degree programs. UB is among America’s strong international universities with 25 percent of our students coming from overseas. The University’s commitment to educate students from throughout the world is recognized in the US News and World Report issue on colleges. With students from more than 80 countries who are active in student government, publications and clubs, the University of Bridgeport prides itself in being a real world experience in globalization. Through its International Programs, the University provides academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities which support the University’s commitment to promote global citizenship and a commitment to public service. There are 200 full- and part-time faculty, including Fulbright Scholars, National Science Foundation Fellows, Ford Fellows, National Endowment for the Humanities Fellows, American Council for Learned Societies Scholars and Phi Beta Kappa Scholars. Known for its competent, committed, caring faculty, the University prides itself on its student-faculty ratio of 11:1. It also takes pride in its commitment to diversity. Some 32 percent of its students are members of minorities. Committed to creating new learning venues, the University of Bridgeport’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and its Office of Distance Learning pioneered the first online graduate degree program in the State of Connecticut. A variety of online courses and certificate programs are also available.
DAEMEN COLLEGE
No. Name Yr Pos 1 Kailey Ballou So. L 2 Meghan Ballou Fr. OH 3 Alicia Contreras Jr. DS 4 Jess Kranz Fr. DS 6 Melissa Postek Fr. RS/MB 7 Courtney Scanlan R-So. OH 8 Sydney MacInnis Fr. S 9 Courtney Bernard So. MB/RS Coach Stephanie Albano 10 Ashley Drzymala So. OH 11 Katie McKrell Jr. S 13 Amber Drzymala Sr. OH 14 Bailey Dolegowski Fr. S 15 Cristina Apostol Fr. MB 18 Rachel Stephenson Jr. MB/RS
Ht Hometown/Previous School 5-7 Eden, N.Y./Eden 6-0 Eden, N.Y./Eden 5-3 Arcadia, Calif./Arcadia 5-8 Depew, N.Y./St. Mary’s of Lancaster 6-0 Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South 6-1 Ellicottville, N.Y./Stony Brook University 5-11 Superior, Colo./Fairview 6-0 Lancaster, Ohio/Fairfield Union 5-10 West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary’s of Lancaster 5-8 Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder 5-9 West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary’s of Lancaster 5-8 Marilla, N.Y./St. Mary’s of Lancaster 6-0 Bucharest, Romania/Targu Mures 5-9 Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier
Head Coach: Stephanie Albano (1st Season) Assistant Coach: Kaley Vazquez and Don Gleason Bailey Dolegowski
Amber Drzymala
Quick Facts Ashley Drzymala
Location: Amherst, N.Y. Founded: 1947 Enrollment: 2,800 Nickname: Wildcats Colors: Royal Blue, Black, White, Gray President: Gary A. Olson Director of Athletics: Bridget Niland Arena (capacity): Lumsden Gymnasium (600)
Did You Know?
• Not only is Daemen hosting the ECC Tournament for the first time, this is Daemen’s first postseason appearance at the NCAA Division II level • Senior outside hitter Amber Drzymala is one of just three players in team history to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career • Daemen is 5-3 against regionally-ranked teams this season • IThe Wildcats enter the tournament having won 14 consecutive matches - the seventh-longest active winning streak in the country
About Daemen
Daemen College is a private, nonsectarian, co-educational, comprehensive college in Amherst, New York, chartered to award both undergraduate and graduate level degrees. Located in a safe and attractive suburban setting, Daemen offers convenient access to one of the country’s most vibrant regions, spanning Buffalo-Niagara, the Great Lakes, and a cross-border corridor with Ontario, Canada, less than a two-hour drive from cosmopolitan Toronto. With a balance of liberal studies and professional programs, Daemen students acquire the skill to solve problems creatively and think critically. They will be comfortable with diversity and will recognize the importance of a global perspective. They will be able to work with others and be invigorated by environments that present challenges and demand innovation. Daemen is in its first year as full-fledged member of NCAA Division II after a three-year transition from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Daemen sponsors 16 varsity sports at the NCAA Division II level, 14 of which compete in the East Coast Conference.
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LIU POST No. Name Yr 1 Giulia Genna So. 2 Rachel Londot So. 3 Elise Strange So. 4 Abby Eckhardt Fr. 5 Indira Rojas Jr. 6 Shannon Sahli Fr. 7 Navah Evans So. 10 Allie Ahearne Fr. 11 Fiona Marziello So. 12 Kassie Akouri-Tejedor Fr. 14 Taryn McCullouch Sr. 15 Analise Austin Sr. 20 Cara Kennedy Fr. 21 Lea Brady Fr. 26 Danielle Valenza Jr.
Pos Ht Hometown/Previous School S 5-10 Rome, Italy/Liceo Meucci OH 5-9 Utica, Ohio/Utica MH/RS 6-0 Chesapeake, Va./Hickory L/DS 5-6 Westminster, Colo./Pomona L/S 5-5 Coamo, Puerto Rico/Monroe OH 5-10 Orange, Calif./Foothill OH/RS 5-8 Oakland, Calif./Bishop O’Dowd L/DS 5-7 Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin S/RS 5-11 Haddonfield, N.J./Paul VI Coach Amanda Ostapow S 5-7 North Miami Beach, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons MH 6-0 Buena Park, Calif./Cal St.-Dominguez Hills OH/RS/MH 5-10 Honolulu, Hawaii/Moanalua RS 5-10 Mineola, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial MH/RS 6-1 Woodbridge, Va./Osbourn Park OH/RS 6-0 Hauppauge, N.Y./Hauppauge
Head Coach: Amanda Ostapow (1st Season) Assistant Coach: Jose Brito and Pedro Medina
Rachel Londot
Taryn McCullouch
Quick Facts
Location: Brookville N.Y. Founded: 1954 Enrollment: 8,472 Nickname: Pioneers Colors: Green and Gold President: Dr. Kimberly R. Cline Director of Athletics: Bryan Collins Arena (capacity): Pratt Recreation Center (3,000)
About LIU Post
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Did You Know?
• The Pioneers are making a 13th-consecutive appearance in the East Coast Conference Championship • Junior outside/right-side hitter Danielle Valenza eclipsed the 1,000-kill milestone for her career on Nov. 5. • The Pioneers were selected to finish third in the 2016 ECC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. • In July 2016, Amanda Ostapow was named the 13th head coach in the history of the LIU Post volleyball team. She took over for Shellane Ogoshi, the program’s all-time winningest coach.
Danielle Valenza
The LIU Post Campus of Long Island University is a private, residential campus in Brookville, New York, offering more than 250 undergraduate and graduate degrees in accountancy, business, computer science, education, liberal arts and sciences, library and information science, health professions and nursing, public service, and visual and performing arts. Founded in 1954, LIU Post offers small classes, state-of-the art facilities and a safe, beautiful campus just 25 miles from Manhattan. Situated on 307 acres on the North Shore of Long Island, the campus features stately historic mansions, redbrick academic buildings, rolling green lawns, and formal gardens. Special campus highlights include wireless classrooms, a writing center, a museum, a recreation center, and one of the largest research libraries in the New York Metropolitan Region. LIU Post’s’ 8,500 undergraduate and graduate students enjoy exceptional health and fitness facilities, more than 80 clubs and 1,000 activities each year, competitive NCAA sports programs and the celebrated Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. More than 85 percent of the LIU Post students receive some form of financial assistance or scholarship. LIU Post graduates have gone on to become entrepreneurs, executives at major firms, teachers, doctors, artists, scientists and journalists. Many of our more than 100,000 alumni have achieved prominence in society’s most dynamic fields. For more information, visit the LIU Post Web Site at www.liu.edu/post.
NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Coach Gail Wasmus
No. Name Yr 1 Kylee Kanealey Fr. 2 Chessie Santeramo Jr. 4 Madison Strippoli So. 5 Karley Brewster Fr. 6 Samantha Degaray So. 7 Tina Stefanovic Jr. 8 Karolina Moderova Jr. 9 Allison Fowler Jr. 10 Portia McIntosh So. 11 Tiffany Verni So. 14 Megan Mannle Jr. 15 Paige Trakas So. 17 Lana Kravtchenko Sr. 21 Rachel Guida Sr.
Pos MB DS/L OH S/RS DS RS OH S/RS DS/L OH MB MB/RS MB/RS MB
Ht Hometown/Previous School 6-3 Rochester, N.Y./Ironequoit 5-5 Freemont, Calif./Ashford Univ. 5-10 Ossining, N.Y./Ossining 5-8 Perry, Ohio/Perry 5-7 Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman 5-10 Cacak, Serbia/Gimnazija Cacak 5-10 Zalesie, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium Ostredkova 10 5-9 Centennial, Colo./Cherry Creek 5-6 Aurora, Colo./Cherokee Trail 5-8 Patchogue, N.Y./Dowling College 6-0 Franklin Square, N.Y./Franklin Square 6-0 Middletown, Del./Appoquinimink 6-4 Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton 6-2 Huntington, N.Y./Sacret Heart Univ.
Head Coach: Gail Wasmus (31st season) Assistant Coach: Emily Syers Rachel Guida
Karolina Moderova
Quick Facts Tiffany Verni
Location: Old Westbury, N.Y. Founded: 1955 Enrollment: 15,000 Nickname: Bears Colors: Blue and Gold President: Edward Guiliano, Ph. D. Director of Athletics: Duane Bailey Arena (capacity): Recreation Hall (500)
Did You Know?
• Head Coach Gail Wasmus is in her 31st season this year as the head of the volleyball program. The Bear’s 3-0 victory against Roberts Wesleyan in regular season marked her 16th season with 20 or more wins. •Junior outside hitter Karolina Moderova tallied her 1,000th career kill this season in the second set of a three-set win over Molloy. Additionally Allison Fowler reached 3,000 assists in a five-set win at Queens. • NYIT women’s tennis is no stranger to ECC Championships as they clinched regular season and won the tournament for the fifth consecutive season last month. Lena Dimmer was named ECC Player of the Year and teammate Karolina Pondisova was selected as the ECC Rookie of the Year. • The NYIT Department of Athletics added its 13th intercollegiate sport this summer, an NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse program.
About NYIT
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 12,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 12 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team. Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger void. To date, 95,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.
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IF i LOSE I ’ L L R E S P O N D W I T H R E S P E C T.
Don’t undo my hard work with poor sportsmanship.