Stevens Institute of Technology placed six players on the all-conference teams and won three of the four 2016 yearly awards.
Sydni Horner earned Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year,
Casey King was named co-Rookie of the Year and Head Coach
Glenn DeHaven and his staff were tabbed as the Coaching Staff of the Year. Ithaca College junior
Joelle Goldstein was voted the Player of the Year and Alfred University freshman
Amber Smith was voted the other co-Rookie of the Year.
Goldstein registered a .318 hitting percentage in conference matches that included 94 kills in 26 sets played. She also added 15 service aces, 83 digs and four blocks. Her 3.62 kills per set ranked second in the conference while her 3.19 digs per set ranked tenth. Overall she registered 296 kills, 292 digs, 36 blocks and 43 aces. Goldstein had 11 matches with a double-double including a season high 23 digs against Franklin and Marshall and 19 kills against Hartwick. Goldstein is Ithaca’s second E8 Player of the Year recipient, joining current Alfred head coach Amanda Hubbard who earned the honor in 2006.
Horner repeats as the Defensive Specialist of the Year marking the second time in conference history the same player was honored as Nazareth’s Mallory Clary was awarded in 2008 and 2009. She led Stevens with 5.61 digs per set to rank 34th in the NCAA and her 611 total digs ranks 17th in the NCAA for the season. Horner registered double figure digs 26 times, including a season-high 38 against Union. In conference only matches she collected 4.96 digs per set (119 digs) to rank first in the conference. Horner is the third Duck to earn Defensive Specialist of the Year (Julia Reilly – 2010 and Kirsten Salmins – 2013).
King is the fourth Duck to earn Rookie honors (2009, 2013, 2014). She played in 27 of a possible 34 matches and finished second on the team and ninth in the conference with 2.82 kills per set during the regular season. King totaled double-figure kills in 11 different matches including a season high of 18 against Springfield. Her 225 digs and 49 blocks ranked third and fourth, respectively, on the team. In conference only matches she had 51 kills with an impressive .300 hitting percentage.
Smith is the first ever Saxons to earn any yearly award in Women’s Volleyball. She led Alfred in kills (369), kills per set (3.51) and hitting percentage (.194) while being tied for second in solo blocks (9) and being third in digs (327) and digs per set (3.11). Her 3.51 kills per set (369 kills) which ranked second among conference players. She had double-digit kill numbers in 21 matches including 15 matches with a double-double in kills and digs. Smith’s season high 23 kills came in the last match of the season against SUNY Polytechnic and her highest dig total (24) was against Wells College. In conference only matches she ranked third with 3.44 kills per set. She played in every conference set and led the Saxons to three E8 wins, the most in over 10 years.
DeHaven and his staff led Stevens to a 30-4 overall record, marking the seventh time in program history the Ducks have reached 30 wins. Twenty-five of the 30 wins were a 3-0 sweep. Stevens also posted a perfect 8-0 mark in the Empire 8 regular season. It is the fourth straight season in which Stevens has gone undefeated in conference play and the Ducks have won 36 straight regular season E8 matches.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2016 Volleyball Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Empire 8 2016 Volleyball All-Conference Teams
Player of the Year: Joelle Goldstein, Ithaca College
Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year: Sydni Horner, Stevens Institute of Technology
Co-Rookie of the Year: Amber Smith, Alfred University
Co-Rookie of the Year: Casey King, Stevens Institute of Technology
Coaching Staff of the Year: Stevens Institute of Technology