Men's Volleyball | 4/7/2022 1:48:45 PM
The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2022 Men’s Volleyball All-Conference awards on Thursday, April 7. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Sophomores Jake Baker of St. John Fisher College and Owen Wickens of Nazareth College shared 2022 Empire 8 Player of the Year honors. Baker, an outside hitter, is averaging 3.48 kills per set, 31st overall in the nation. Overall, he has 327 kills, 126 digs, 41 blocks and 26 service aces this season. Wickens, who has seen time as an outside hitter and setter this season, leads Nazareth with 262 kills, 160 digs and 79 service aces to go along with 342 assists and 39 blocks.
David Ceruqa of St. John Fisher earned his third E8 Libero/Defensive Player of the Year honor. Cerqua, a graduate student, is among the national leaders with 3.15 digs per set.
Alberto Mauricio of Elmira College and Nazareth’s Josh Weaver shared 2022 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year accolades. Mauricio, an outside hitter, has slammed 257 kills to go along with team-high totals 138 digs and 38 blocks. He was a seven-time Empire 8 Rookie of the Week. Weaver slammed 115 kills to go along with 38 blocks and garnered a pair of E8 Rookie of the Week accolades.
The St. John Fisher coaching staff, led by head coach Stephen England, was named the 2022 Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year. The Cardinals are currently ranked 15th nationally with a 22-7 overall record. On March 4, St. John Fisher knocked off No. 2 NYU in four sets. Overall, the Cardinals have won three matches over nationally-ranked opponents in 2022.
Wickens and Baker headlined the Empire 8 first team selections, along with the St. John Fisher trio of Josh Bigford, Matt Beiter and Paul Hackford and Elmira’s Oscar Munoz Trinidad. Bigford garnered All-Empire 8 first team accolades for the third time.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2022 Men's Volleyball Sportsman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference 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 sportsmen.
2022 Empire 8 Men’s Volleyball All-Conference Selections
Co-Player of the Year: Jake Baker, So., OH, St. John Fisher
Co-Player of the Year: Owen Wickens, So., So., OH/L, Nazareth
Libero/Defensive Player of the Year: David Cerqua, Gr., L/DS, St. John Fisher
Co-Rookie of the Year: Alberto Mauricio, Fr., OH, Elmira
Co-Rookie of the Year: Josh Weaver, Fr., S/RS, Nazareth
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by Head Coach Stephen England
Empire 8 First Team
Oscar Munoz Trinidad, Jr., S/RS, Elmira
Owen Wickens, So., OH/L, Nazareth
Jake Baker, So., OH, St. John Fisher
Matt Beiter, Jr., OPP, St. John Fisher
Josh Bigford, Sr., OH, St. John Fisher
Paul Hackford, Gr., S, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Second Team
Jordan Peiser, So., OH/RS, Elmira
Edwin Sosa, Fr., MB, Elmira
Trent Caviness, Jr., S/OH, Nazareth
Antonio Sargent, Gr., OH, Nazareth
Seth Terzo, Jr., L/DS, Nazareth
Griffin Stella, So., OH, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Sportsman of the Year
Ryan Mattes, Jr., MB/OH, Elmira
Jonathon Jackson, Sr., OH/RS, Nazareth
Asuan Farrell, Sr., DS, Russell Sage
Paul Hackford, Gr., S, St. John Fisher