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Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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knihinicki smillie award presented
Mackenzie Knihinicki flanked by NYIT Athletic Director Clyde Doughty, Jr. (left) and ECC Commissioner Dr. Robert Dranoff after receiving the John Smillie, Jr. Award

Women's Volleyball

Knihinicki Honored At ECC Awards Dinner

Sophomore Volleyball Player Receives John Smillie, Jr. Award

 
knihinicki tale of 2 years
Two photos taken a year apart tells you all you need to know about what Knihinicki has already overcome
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - On Monday, May 12, sophomore volleyball player Mackenzie Knihinicki (Lakeview, N.Y./Frontier) of Daemen College was named as one of three recipients of the John Smillie, Jr. Award which was handed out at the East Coast Conference Awards Dinner held at the Cox Student Center on the campus of the University of Bridgeport.  Knihinicki joined Dragana Jelovac, a junior volleyball player from Dowling College, and Jackie Karras, a senior soccer player from Mercy College, as recipients of the award.

The John Smillie, Jr. Award is given annually to a student-athlete or student-athletes who have overcome personal or physical challenges and hardships to pursue their intercollegiate athletic careers.  It's given in honor of John Smillie, Jr., an athletic trainer from New York Insititue of Technology, who passed away two years ago after battling cancer.  Smillie's children were in attendance to present the award, along with ECC Commissioner Dr. Robert J. Dranoff, and NYIT Athletic Director Clyde Doughty, Jr.

Knihinicki was recognized for having overcome her own bout with cancer.  She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the spring of 2012 (during her senior year in high school) and spent the summer before her freshman season undergoing chemotherapy treatment.  In the fall of 2012, she was cleared to participate in athletic activities and shortly thereafter, made her debut as a Daemen Wildcat on September 25 against Roberts Wesleyan College.  Of all nights to debut, she did so during the team's Spike For Strength Night, a event planned by the team to help raise funds for cancer research.

Although her debut came that season, she still battled the lingering effects of her treatments and was limited to only six appearances in her freshman campaign.

knihinikci action smillie award
Mackenzie Knihinicki prepares to hammer down a spike last fall
In the 2013 season, after being in remission for a full year, Knihinicki returned to the court and proved that the illness was completely behind her. She competed in 23 matches, starting in seven, and compiled 48 kills and 27 total blocks in the Wildcats first season in the extremely competitive ECC.  In doing so, she helped Daemen to a 23-10 record and a10-6 mark in ECC play which tied the Wildcats for fourth place in the conference standings.  She saved her best performances for late in the season and helped Daemen capture its second straight United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Championship.  In that tournament, she notched a career-best five blocks in a pool play match vs. SUNY Canton and added a career-high seven kills in the semifinals vs. Rochester College (Mich.).

"I am extremely proud of Mackenzie for all that she has overcome in such a short time," commented head coach Mark Parisi.  "Adversity is placed in front of people throughout their lives and we often don't have the composure to overcome it, especially when it occurs to us at a young age.  Mackenzie would be the exception to that.  She faced the challenge head on and beat it.  Returning to volleyball, I'm sure, was an after-thought for her at some point in her journey, but she tackled that obstacle too, and became an integral part of a championship-caliber team.  She's become a wonderful advocate for cancer survivors, and I'm appreciative of the conference for honoring her in this way."

The additional recipients, Jelovac and Karras, each overcame their own physical challenges.  Jelovac was struck by a car while walking near the Dowling campus and suffered a traumatic brain injury.  Karras suffered major knee injuries on four occasions throughout her career, leading to four surgeries, before completing her senior season injury-free this past fall.  Read more about the three recipients of the John Smillie, Jr. Award.

Over 100 administrators, coaches, student-athletes and guests from all 11 ECC institutions were in attendance for the Awards Dinner.  Read more about the conference's Fifth Annual Awards Dinner. 









 
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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Knihinicki

#14 Mackenzie Knihinicki

MB
5' 9"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Knihinicki

#14 Mackenzie Knihinicki

5' 9"
Sophomore
MB