Nipps, Podczasy Draw NEAC Second Team All-Conference Honors
GANSEVOORT, N.Y. – Freshmen Derek Nipps (Turnersville, N.J.) and J.J. Podczasy (Macungie, Pa.) were each selected to the North Eastern Athletic Conference Second Team All-Conference for the sport of men's volleyball, the conference office announced Tuesday afternoon. In only their second year of competing as an NCAA Division III varsity program, the Express posted an 8-19 overall record and a 2-3 mark within league play, missing out on the playoffs by only a single victory.
As a freshman, Nipps posted a team-leading and single season program record 352 assists while averaging a team-best 4.05 per set through the team's 27 contests this year. His mark of 4.05 assists per set places him fourth amongst qualifying players within conference play. In addition, Nipps ranked second on the Express and 12th in the conference with 1.68 digs per set. His 39 total blocks placed him in a tie for second on the Express while his 1.37 kills per set also placed him only behind team leader Podczasy.
Podczasy powered home a team-best 185 kills for Wells across 85 sets played, setting a single-season program record in that category for the Express. His 2.18 kills per set ranked him third in the conference while his first year total of 185 gives him the all-time kills lead in team history after year two as a varsity program. Across his final six matches with the Express this season, Podczasy accounted for 58 kills and a team-best .213 hitting percentage.
Junior Alex Bahn of Lancaster Bible College was tabbed as the conference's player of the year after posting a league-best 52 service aces while drawing NEAC Student-Athlete of the Week three separate times. Teammate Andy Nguyen captured Defensive Player of the Year after ranking second in the league with 205 digs on the year. Their Head Coach, Evelyn Long, was selected as the Coach of the Year by her peers after piloting the Chargers to an unblemished in-conference record (5-0).
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