Posted: Nov 20, 2024
Shairs Named Second Team All-MASCAC
SALEM, Mass. -- Outside hitter Presley Shairs (Salem, Mass.) was named to the 2024 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Volleyball Second-Team in an announcement by the league on Wednesday, November 20. Shairs enjoyed a stellar junior campaign, leading the conference in blocks (21) while finishing second in kills (225) and points (277). The junior also ranked second in the MASCAC in kills per set (2.71) and was third in points per set (3.30).
Natalie Reynolds of Framingham State and Ezmeralda Albright of MCLA took home the 2024 MASCAC Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Reynolds, a sophomore from Beverly, Mass., continued her award winning ways as she was voted MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year after earning MASCAC Rookie of the Year in 2023. This season for the Rams, she led the conference with 345 kills, 3.38 per set and 894 total attacks. She was fifth in hitting percentage at .246 while also collecting 39 total blocks, 72 digs and 14 service aces. In the win over MCLA, Reynolds finished with 26 kills with a .382 hitting percentage, five digs and three total blocks. This is the second All-Conference accolade for Reynolds after earning a spot on the second team last season.
Libero Ezmeralda Albright was named MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year after the senior from Loves Park, Ill. finished atop the MASCAC in several categories, including digs at 477, digs per set at 4.72 and receptions at 681. She also registered 15 service aces and 34 assists on the year. Twice this season, she finished with 30 or more digs in a match, most recently in the five set win over Salem State, she registered 38 digs with three aces in the win. This is her first time on the All-Conference squad, grabbing a spot on first team.
Claiming the 2024 MASCAC Rookie of the Year honors was Sydney Cummins of Westfield State. The freshman from Nicholasville, Ky., helped the Owls to the regular season title and top seed in the MASCAC Tournament. During her first year with the team, she tallied 236 kills (2.57 per set) over 811 total attacks while adding 238 digs (2.59 per set), 20 total blocks and 22 service aces. 11 times this season, she saw double digit kills, including a season-best 15 in the 3-0 win over Framingham State and matched it in the five-set regular season win over Bridgewater State.
After guiding the Bears to the second seed in the MASCAC Tournament, Tony daSilveira Jr. of Bridgewater State has been voted the 2024 BSN Sports Volleyball Coach of the Year. This is his first coach of the year honor since taking over the helm in 2019.
Joining Reynolds, Albright and Cummins on the All-Conference First Team are Lily Welch of Bridgewater State, Elizabeth Brown of MCLA, Julia Bartiet of Westfield State and Angela Colonis of Worcester State.
Earning a spot on the MASCAC Second Team All-Conference are Stella Bailey of Framingham State, Chloie Garber of MCLA, Shayla Narodowg of Mass. Maritime, Shairs of Salem State, Sarah Bingham and Julia Dangel-Garcia of Westfield State and Katherine Crateau of Worcester State.