Photo by: Greg Vasil
Rugby Trio Earns All-NIRA Honors
2/14/2024 4:00:00 PM | Women's Rugby
Alyssa Cunningham eanrs third All-NIRA honor
FAIRFIELD, Conn.— The National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) announced its All-NIRA teams for 2023-24, and the Sacred Heart University women's rugby team has three athletes represented.
Alyssa Cunningham earned a spot on the first XV, Ashley Torres-Brown was named to the second XV, and Reese Torticill was placed on the honorable mention team.
Cunningham earns a spot on the first XV team for the second straight season. The junior captain finished the fall season with 29 points with 58 carries and one try. She was second on the team in meters made with 370 and third on the team in defenders beaten with 12. Cunningham made 23 tackles, and her tackle completion was 93%. This is the third All-NIRA honor for Cunningham after earning a spot on the honorable mention team during her first season followed by back-to-back first-team selections.
Torres-Brown earns her first All-NIRA honor after finishing the season with 20 points with four tries. The sophomore was second on the team in defenders beaten with 17, third on the team in meters made at 351, and fourth on the team in tackles with 42 with a tackle completion of 92%.
Torticill brings in her first All-NIRA accolade after a stellar rookie campaign. The first-year was the team leader in tries with seven for a total of 35 points. Torticill is fourth on the team in defenders beaten at 12 and in meters made with 283. She has 30 tackles made with a 79% tackle completion.
"We are honored as a program to have Aly, Ashley, and Reese recognized by NIRA for their performance this fall," said head coach Michelle Reed. "As a first-year, Reese came in and made a mark. She has a fierce but graceful way of finding the try line. Ashley has continued to show that she is a threat with the ball in hand. Defenses find her hard to take down committing multiple defenders and gaining us valuable meters. Aly continues to be the best fullback in NIRA. Her pursuit to develop her on-field skills, increase her rugby IQ, and improve her leadership all contribute to her being one of the best in collegiate rugby."
The Pioneers reached the NIRA postseason for the first time in program history after finishing the season as the fourth seed and traveled to top-seeded Harvard in a NIRA semifinal.
Alyssa Cunningham earned a spot on the first XV, Ashley Torres-Brown was named to the second XV, and Reese Torticill was placed on the honorable mention team.
Cunningham earns a spot on the first XV team for the second straight season. The junior captain finished the fall season with 29 points with 58 carries and one try. She was second on the team in meters made with 370 and third on the team in defenders beaten with 12. Cunningham made 23 tackles, and her tackle completion was 93%. This is the third All-NIRA honor for Cunningham after earning a spot on the honorable mention team during her first season followed by back-to-back first-team selections.
Torres-Brown earns her first All-NIRA honor after finishing the season with 20 points with four tries. The sophomore was second on the team in defenders beaten with 17, third on the team in meters made at 351, and fourth on the team in tackles with 42 with a tackle completion of 92%.
Torticill brings in her first All-NIRA accolade after a stellar rookie campaign. The first-year was the team leader in tries with seven for a total of 35 points. Torticill is fourth on the team in defenders beaten at 12 and in meters made with 283. She has 30 tackles made with a 79% tackle completion.
"We are honored as a program to have Aly, Ashley, and Reese recognized by NIRA for their performance this fall," said head coach Michelle Reed. "As a first-year, Reese came in and made a mark. She has a fierce but graceful way of finding the try line. Ashley has continued to show that she is a threat with the ball in hand. Defenses find her hard to take down committing multiple defenders and gaining us valuable meters. Aly continues to be the best fullback in NIRA. Her pursuit to develop her on-field skills, increase her rugby IQ, and improve her leadership all contribute to her being one of the best in collegiate rugby."
The Pioneers reached the NIRA postseason for the first time in program history after finishing the season as the fourth seed and traveled to top-seeded Harvard in a NIRA semifinal.
Players Mentioned
Fullback
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