SCOCCA EARNS VOLLEYBALL’S FIRST-EVER ALL-NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SELECTION
November 21, 2009
SCOCCA EARNS VOLLEYBALL'S FIRST-EVER ALL-NORTHEAST CONFERENCE SELECTION
SMITHFIELD, R.I. - After leading the Northeast Conference in blocks throughout the 2009 season, Bryant University sophomore Maria Scocca (Melrose, Mass.) became the first Bulldog volleyball player to garner conference postseason honors, being named to the All-NEC Second Team as announced by league officials Friday night.
Scocca's 153 blocks paced the team and the conference and sits at No. 6 in the Bryant single-season record books. But the Massachusetts native led the Bryant side in more than just blocks, posting team bests in kills (406), kills per game (3.22), blocks per game (1.21), aces (38) and points (529.0). Many of those numbers also sat in the conference's top-10, including kills (5th) and hitting percentage (6th, .277).
The sophomore also recorded two top spots in the NEC for single-game marks. Scocca's 29 kills against Providence College on Sept. 5 set a new conference match high, while her 15 blocks against Brown just four days later tied a record set back in 1998.
Scocca started every match for the Bulldogs this season, leading them to an 11-23 overall record. She is the only honoree in 2009 all-conference lineup whose team is not participating in postseason action. The Bulldogs become eligible for postseason play in 2012 at the conclusion of a four-year transition period to full Division I membership.