Ciszek Doubles Up as NEC Player & Setter of the Year
11/17/2022 12:49:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Pioneers collect four all-conference awards.
SOMERSET, N.J. – On the eve of the Northeast Conference Tournament, the league office handed out its annual women's volleyball awards. Headlining the haul for Sacred Heart University was Sarah Ciszek as she collected NEC Player and Setter of the Year as announced by the conference office.
In addition to her two awards, Ciszek also earned the fifth First-Team All-NEC selection of her career. She was joined on the first team by middle blocker Reghan Palanchi. Outside hitter Camryn Luginbuhl and libero Emma Smallcomb were named Second-Team All-NEC.
"It is always an honor when our team is recognized by our peers," SHU head coach Rob Machan said. "Sarah continues to perform at the highest level and is well deserving of Player and Setter of the Year. Reghan and Emma are two of the top players in the region and Cam is as physical as any player in the conference.
"We have a very well balanced team with outstanding contributions from Jasmine (Rogers) and Kate (Anderson) as well. And no one in the league has had a better second half of the season than Brooke (Jeffrey). It is great to see Sarah, Reghan and Emma be honored in their final season, but the future is bright for SHU women's volleyball."
Ciszek has the distinction that no other student-athlete in the country may ever garner as she is the five-time Setter of the Year and five-time First-Team All-NEC selection. The Player of the Year nod is the second of her career after the award in the spring of 2021.
The most dynamic player in the NEC, she leads the conference with 1,030 assists and has the top hitting percentage at .358. This season the San Juan Capistrano, Calif. native and graduate student earned a record nine NEC Player of the Week awards and finished her career with 24 weekly nods, also a conference record. Ciszek rates fourth in the country with five triple doubles.
While this is Palanchi's third All-NEC accolade, it's the first time she's been a First-Team selection. The Succasunna, N.J. native led the NEC with 104 blocks and was third at 0.97 blocks per set. In addition, the graduate student is third in the conference with a .321 hitting percentage. Named NEC Defensive Player of the Week on October 11, Palanchi broke the SHU all-time blocks record, which currently stands at 365.
Smallcomb collected her second all-conference award to go along with one from the spring of 2021. Third in the conference at 4.56 digs per set, three times this season the graduate student has picked up NEC Defensive Player of the Week. The Westborough, Mass. native also cemented her named in the SHU record books as she reset the career record for digs, which is at 2,033 going into the weekend. Smallcomb had a season-high 30 digs in the win at LIU two weeks ago.
A transfer from Hartford, Luginbuhl has been a fixture in the starting line from day one. She's tops on the team at 282 kills, the third-highest total in the league, and seventh at 2.66 kills per set. A sophomore from Tolland, Conn., she has five double-doubles this year, including a career-best 23 kills and 13 digs in the win over Stony Brook during the SHU Invitational.
Sacred Heart (20-9, 12-2 NEC) will serve as host of the NEC Tournament and opens against LIU at 6 p.m. on Friday.
In addition to her two awards, Ciszek also earned the fifth First-Team All-NEC selection of her career. She was joined on the first team by middle blocker Reghan Palanchi. Outside hitter Camryn Luginbuhl and libero Emma Smallcomb were named Second-Team All-NEC.
"It is always an honor when our team is recognized by our peers," SHU head coach Rob Machan said. "Sarah continues to perform at the highest level and is well deserving of Player and Setter of the Year. Reghan and Emma are two of the top players in the region and Cam is as physical as any player in the conference.
"We have a very well balanced team with outstanding contributions from Jasmine (Rogers) and Kate (Anderson) as well. And no one in the league has had a better second half of the season than Brooke (Jeffrey). It is great to see Sarah, Reghan and Emma be honored in their final season, but the future is bright for SHU women's volleyball."
Ciszek has the distinction that no other student-athlete in the country may ever garner as she is the five-time Setter of the Year and five-time First-Team All-NEC selection. The Player of the Year nod is the second of her career after the award in the spring of 2021.
The most dynamic player in the NEC, she leads the conference with 1,030 assists and has the top hitting percentage at .358. This season the San Juan Capistrano, Calif. native and graduate student earned a record nine NEC Player of the Week awards and finished her career with 24 weekly nods, also a conference record. Ciszek rates fourth in the country with five triple doubles.
While this is Palanchi's third All-NEC accolade, it's the first time she's been a First-Team selection. The Succasunna, N.J. native led the NEC with 104 blocks and was third at 0.97 blocks per set. In addition, the graduate student is third in the conference with a .321 hitting percentage. Named NEC Defensive Player of the Week on October 11, Palanchi broke the SHU all-time blocks record, which currently stands at 365.
Smallcomb collected her second all-conference award to go along with one from the spring of 2021. Third in the conference at 4.56 digs per set, three times this season the graduate student has picked up NEC Defensive Player of the Week. The Westborough, Mass. native also cemented her named in the SHU record books as she reset the career record for digs, which is at 2,033 going into the weekend. Smallcomb had a season-high 30 digs in the win at LIU two weeks ago.
A transfer from Hartford, Luginbuhl has been a fixture in the starting line from day one. She's tops on the team at 282 kills, the third-highest total in the league, and seventh at 2.66 kills per set. A sophomore from Tolland, Conn., she has five double-doubles this year, including a career-best 23 kills and 13 digs in the win over Stony Brook during the SHU Invitational.
Sacred Heart (20-9, 12-2 NEC) will serve as host of the NEC Tournament and opens against LIU at 6 p.m. on Friday.
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