Graphic design image with photos of Keira Mullen and Nahirka Malpica to promote their selection to the All-ECC teams for the 2025 season

Mullen & Malpica Earn All-ECC Accolades

11/20/2025 1:00:00 PM

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen University women's volleyball student-athletes Keira Mullen (Farmingdale, N.J.) and Nahirka Malpica (Caguas, P.R.) have each earned All-East Coast Conference recognition for their on-court play during the 2025 season. Mullen, a freshman outside hitter, was named to the All-ECC First Team, while Malpica, a senior outside hitter/right side, was named to the All-ECC Second Team.

Mullen has quickly established herself as Daemen's top offensive player in just her first collegiate season. She leads the Wildcats with 286 kills on a .227 hitting percentage. Her 3.21 kills-per-set average ranks fourth among all players in the ECC.

A three-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, Mullen has recorded 10 or more kills in 15 matches this season, including in 13 of the last 18 outings. She recorded her first career double-double on Sept. 19, finishing with 14 kills and 10 digs in a loss to Holy Family. She added another when she notched career-highs of 20 kills and 14 digs in a thrilling, five-set victory over ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas on Oct. 11. Mullen went on to match the 20-kill mark in later wins over D'Youville (Oct. 22) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Nov. 8) again.

In addition to her offensive prowess, Mullen has chipped in 116 digs and 44 total blocks this season.

Mullen was joined on the All-ECC First Team by Gabriela Bieniek, Grace Dilena and Adriana Rivera Rodriguez of Mercy University, Aria Miller and Julia Zalta of Molloy University and Kylynn White of Queens College.

Malpica picks up All-ECC honors for the second straight season. She was an All-ECC First Team selection in 2024, and was named the ECC Preseason Player of the Year in August. Malpica has been a major contributor both offensively and defensively throughout her senior campaign, totaling 271 kills and a team-high 275 digs. She ranks sixth in kills per set (2.95) and fifth in digs per set (2.99) among the ECC leaders, and is one of only two players conference-wide to appear in the top 10 of both statistical categories.

Malpica has registered eight double-doubles this season, including back-to-back matches at Daemen's own Wildcat Classic in mid-September when she registered 15 kills and a season-high 20 digs against Clarion, only to go for a season-high 21 kills and another 20 digs the following day against Dallas Baptist. She has reached double-figure digs in 14 matches this season, including six of the last seven. She's also a two-time ECC weekly award recipient, picking up Defensive Player of the Week honors for Oct. 20-26 and Player of the Week honors for Oct. 27-Nov. 2.

Malpica was joined on the All-ECC Second Team by Mia Illes-Hair of Mercy, Ilaria Micol Chiericati, Isabella Rios and Erin Stanley of Molloy, and Madeline O'Brien and Cameron Ulinksi of D'Youville University.

Mullen and Malpica will lead third-seeded Daemen (12-13, 8-4 ECC) into postseason action Friday against second-seeded Molloy (17-8, 10-2 ECC) in the semifinal round of the ECC Women's Volleyball Championship at the Neil Judge Student-Athlete Center on Mercy's campus. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to Saturday's final round to play for a conference title and an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 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 women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.

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