Burns & Alessi Earn ECC Weekly Accolades

10/4/2021 3:46:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications & Operations

AMHERST, N.Y. - Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) and Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) of the Daemen College women's volleyball team have each been named a weekly award recipient by the East Coast Conference. Burns was named the ECC Player of the Week, and Alessi was named the ECC Setter of the Week, recognizing their performance in matches played September 27 through October 4. The official announcement was made this afternoon in the ECC's weekly women's volleyball report.

Burns and Alessi played starring roles for the Wildcats last week as they earned a pair of victories. Daemen improved to 3-0 in conference play with a 3-1 defeat of long-time rival Roberts Wesleyan on September 30, and followed up with a 3-1 non-conference victory over St. Rose on October 2. Daemen (9-6 overall) has won five of their last six matches, and the Wildcats are one of two teams that remain unbeaten in ECC play.

An outside hitter competing in her junior season, Burns has really come on of late for the Wildcats. She averaged 4.14 kills per set (29 total kills) with a .228 hitting percentage in the two matches last week. Her contributions weren't limited to the offensive side either as she chipped in 26 digs, an average of 3.71 digs per set.

Despite playing in only three of the four sets vs. RWC, Burns matched her career-high with 16 kills and added a team-high 14 digs. It marked her first double-double of the season. She doubled up again in the win over St. Rose, totaling 13 kills and 12 digs. Burns matched her season-high with 48 attacks against the Golden Knights.

This marks the first ECC weekly award in Burns' career. She is in her second season playing for the Wildcats after beginning her career at Urbana where she was the Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year in 2019. Burns has posted 10+ kills in five matches this season, including the last three in a row. Over the last six matches, she's averaging 3.45 kills and 3.30 digs per set. She currently ranks 10th among the conference leaders for kills per set (2.39).

Alessi, a 5-foot-4 sophomore, is the ECC Setter of the Week for a second time this season after producing a pair of double-doubles last week. She now has nine double-doubles this season, her first with the Wildcats after beginning her career at Division I Duquesne, all of which have come in the last 11 matches. Alessi totaled 79 assists (11.29 assists/set) and 32 digs (4.57 digs/set) in the two Wildcat victories.

She opened the week by posting a match-high 32 assists to go with 13 digs and two service aces against the rival Redhawks, a match in which she split time at setter with classmate Dunja Masic (McHenry, Ill.) while also wearing the libero jersey for a set. Against St. Rose, Alessi exclusively handled the team's setting duties and contributed a match-high 47 assists and a team-high 19 digs. It marked her sixth match this season with at least 40 assists. She also contributed two of the Wildcats' season-high 13 service aces.

Alessi has totaled 495 assists and 159 digs this season, ranking second and third in those respective categories among the ECC leaders. In the last 11 matches, she's averaging 8.88 assists and 3.16 digs per set. She was also named ECC Setter of the Week for September 6-12.

Today's announcement marks the fourth time in five weeks this season that Daemen has had multiple ECC weekly award recipients. The Wildcats have had at last one recipient in all five weeks.

The Wildcats return to action Thursday, October 7 when they wrap up a three-match homestand with a non-conference bout vs. Edinboro.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen College women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.

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