Women's Volleyball 11/18/2016 1:50:00 PM Lea Sobieraski, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant

Drzymala, Dolegowski & Albano Claim Major ECC Awards

Drzymala Sisters Nab First-Team All-ECC Honors, Dolegowski Named To Second-Team

AMHERST, N.Y. – As announced by the East Coast Conference office at the tournament banquet this afternoon, Daemen Head Coach Stephanie Albano, sophomore Ashley Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) and freshman Bailey Dolegowski (Marilla, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) have been awarded notable conference accolades. The trio have been named Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, and Co-Rookie of the Year respectively, for the 2016 season. In addition, senior Amber Drzymala (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) has been hailed with all-conference recognition, earning a spot on the All-Conference First Team.

In her first season at the helm of the Daemen women's volleyball program, Albano has been selected ECC Coach of the Year, voted on by her fellow peers. As the Associate head coach in 2015, Albano helped guide the Wildcats to a 12-17 record and fifth-place ECC finish, just missing postseason berth. Albano replaced predecessor Bob Maxwell for the 2016 slate, leading Daemen to a 22-6 overall record, 13-1 conference mark and the program's first-ever East Coast Conference regular season championship. The Wildcats earned the No. 1 seed and hosting rights for the conference tournament, taking place this weekend at Lumsden Gymnasium, marking the first time Daemen has hosted an ECC Championship Tournament. Albano and the Wildcats have also accomplished another Daemen Athletics first, earning a No. 1 regional ranking in the NCAA Division II East Region poll.

Ashley Drzymala, a 2016 ECC Player of the Week honoree and the 2015 ECC Rookie of the Year, has been named this season's East Coast Conference Player of the Year, as well as earning First Team All-Conference recognition. Ashley becomes the first player in women's volleyball history to win ECC Player of the Year honors. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter has had a standout sophomore season, standing among the league's leaders in numerous categories. Ashley concluded the regular season with a team-high 363 kills, ranking second in the conference. She also ranks second in service aces (47), third in service aces per set (.45), third in kills per set (3.46), fifth in total attacks (883), 12th in hitting percentage (.238), and 13th in digs (274). Nationally, Ashley breaks top 50 in both service aces and aces per set, ranking 35th and 46th, respectively. In Daemen's 14-game win streak, the West Seneca native has averaged 13.2 kills and 9.86 digs per match. Drzymala, a key versatile player for Daemen, has registered a team-high 14 double-doubles this season.

Bailey Dolegowski, a four-time ECC weekly awards recipient, has been named this season's East Coast Conference Co-Rookie of the Year, and also earned Second Team All-Conference distinction. This marks the second year in a row that a Daemen athlete has been named Rookie of the Year. The 5-foot-8 freshman setter has had a remarkable rookie campaign, proving to be a key component to Daemen's highly successful season. Dolegowski wrapped up the regular season as the number one assist leader in the ECC with 972, and ranks third in assists per set in the conference (9.53). In her first season, Dolegowski currently ranks seventh in Daemen volleyball history for total assists in a single season. The newcomer has posted 14 double-doubles, with eight coming in the last nine contests. In 27 matches played, Dolegowski has had 13 matches with at least 40 assists, five of those performances being 50 or more assists. She has also contributed in Daemen's dominance this season with 40 service aces, 241 digs and 17 blocks.

Amber Drzymala, a two-time ECC Player of the Week winner in 2016, has been one of seven players named to the All-Conference First Team. The Drzymala sisters become only the second and third Wildcats to earn First-Team honors, joining Ye Wang (Bejing, China), who earned the honor when Daemen joined the East Coast Conference in 2013. The elder Drzymala, a 5-foot-9 outside hitter, has had fantastic final go-round, leaving her legacy as one of the all-time greatest players in Daemen women's volleyball history. Drzymala concluded the 2016 regular season by notching her 1,000th career kill, making her just the third player in team history to surpass both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. In the conference, the senior veteran ranks fifth in kills (331), sixth in kills per set (3.12) and tenth in digs (312). She is one of just three players in the ECC to rank in the top 10 in both kills and digs. Amber has posted 12 double-doubles this season, bringing her career total to 28.

Coach Albano and the Wildcats enter tournament play on the strength of 14 consecutive wins, the team's first double-figure win streak since rattling off 15 during the 2013 season. The streak is currently the seventh-longest in the country among NCAA Division II teams. Nationally, Daemen ranks 22nd in team service aces (199) and 17th in aces per set (1.91) out of 292 Division II teams. The Wildcats' .216 hitting percentage is good for a 61st ranking, and, defensively Daemen is allowing their opponents a mere .156 hitting percentage, which is also ranked 61st.

Top-seeded Daemen faces off against fourth-seeded Long Island University Post in the first semifinal match of the East Coast Conference Tournament, taking place at 5:00 p.m. tonight in Lumsden Gymnasium. With a win, the Wildcats will advance to the finals, matching up against either No. 2 N.Y. Institute of Technology or No. 3 University of Bridgeport. Match time for the tourney finals is set for 5:00 p.m. Saturday.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen women's volleyball team, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenVB on Twitter.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#7 Ye Wang: MB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior

#13 Amber Drzymala: OH; 5' 9"; Senior

#10 Ashley Drzymala: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#14 Bailey Dolegowski: S; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#7 Ye Wang
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior
: MB

#13 Amber Drzymala
: 5' 9"; Senior
: OH

#10 Ashley Drzymala
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH

#14 Bailey Dolegowski
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: S