Women's Volleyball | 11/3/2021 9:59:15 AM
St. John Fisher senior outside hitter Alea Steigerwald became just the fifth player in league history to be named Player of the Year in any sport for the fourth consecutive season, as the Empire 8 Conference announced its 2021 Women’s Volleyball All-Conference awards on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Steigerwald is looking to lead St. John Fisher to its third consecutive Empire 8 title in 2021 and is in the midst of enjoying another excellent season, with league-high totals of 316 kills and 375 points in 93 sets played. She has tallied at least 10 kills in 21 matches and has recorded 13 double-doubles this season. Steigerwald now has 1,405 career kills and 1,189 digs to go along with 181 service aces in four seasons with the Cardinals.
Steigerwald is the first women’s volleyball player in E8 history to earn four consecutive Player of the Year accolades. She joins Amy Regan (Stevens, cross country), Emma Dewart (Ithaca, track and field), Lindsey Thayer (St. John Fisher, softball) and Matthew Heinrich (Stevens, men’s tennis) as the only Empire 8 student-athletes in the four-time Player of the Year club.
Junior Darian Ortiz of Alfred University was named the E8 Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year for the second consecutive season, while first-year standout Tessa Grover of Nazareth was named the Rookie of the Year. Ortiz finished second among all Empire 8 players with 389 digs, including 4.63 digs per set in 2021. She had at least 20 digs in eight matches and recorded at least 10 digs in 20 of 24 matches this season. Grover, who competes at right side and setter, is averaging 5.5 assists, 2.2 kills, 1.56 blocks and 0.73 blocks this season, while hitting .247 for the Golden Flyers. She was a five-time E8 Rookie of the Week during the regular season.
St. John Fisher head coach Kelly Greapentrog and her staff were honored as the Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for the third straight season. St. John Fisher has enjoyed a tremendous 2021 season, with an 8-0 record in league play. The Cardinals enter the tournament with a 24-4 overall record and carries a 27-match winning streak versus league foes dating back to the 2019 season.
Nazareth’s junior outside hitter Kaylee Kelly earned her second consecutive All-Empire 8 first team accolade. Hartwick seniors Toria Betelak and Myla Dobson, along with Grover and St. John Fisher junior Lindsey DeBonis were named All-Empire 8 first team selections along with Steigerwald. All six first team picks were from the top-three seeds in the Empire 8 Tournament.
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2021 Women's Volleyball Sportswoman 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 sportswomen.
2021 Empire 8 Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Selections
Player of the Year: Alea Steigerwald, Sr., OH, St. John Fisher
Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year: Darian Ortiz, Jr., L/DS, Alfred
Rookie of the Year: Tessa Grover, Fr., S/RS, Nazareth
Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John Fisher, led by head coach Kelly Greapentrog
Empire 8 First Team
Toria Betelak, Sr., MH, Hartwick
Myla Dobson, Sr., MH/RS, Hartwick
Tessa Grover, Fr., S/RS, Nazareth
Kaylee Kelly, Jr., OH, Nazareth
Lindsey DeBonis, Jr., OH, St. John Fisher
Alea Steigerwald, Sr., OH, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Second Team
Darian Ortiz, Jr., L/DS, Alfred
Kaylene Sauschuck, Sr., MB, Elmira
Staecia Silofau, Fr., RS/OH, Hartwick
McKenzie Hart., Sr., OH/L, Nazareth
Katie Leaty, Sr., S, St. John Fisher
Gracie Jacob, So., OH, St. John Fisher
Empire 8 Third Team
Sarah Raeman, Gr., OPP/OH, Alfred
Collette Maloney, Jr., OH, Hartwick
Julie Immel, Fr., OH, Houghton
Emma Parkington, Sr., OH, Russell Sage
Julia Halsey, Sr., L/DS, St. John Fisher
Eleanor Cepiel, Jr, OH/RS, Utica
Empire 8 Sportswoman of the Year
Lucy McCredie, Sr., S, Alfred
Calli Vocke, Jr., MB, Elmira
Kayley Ericson, Sr., S, Hartwick
Emma Santerre, Sr., OH/MB, Houghton
Tionna Moss, Jr., OH, Keuka
Olivia Quick, Sr., RS, Nazareth
Statia Walker, So., RS, Russell Sage
Kara Kingsbury, Sr., L/DS St. John Fisher
Eleanor Cepiel, Jr., OH/RS, Utica
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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