2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball All-Conference Teams Announced

November 14, 2023

WINTHROP, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) announced its 2023 Women’s Volleyball All-Conference Teams and major award winners on Tuesday afternoon. Simmons’ six honorees led the conference.

Voting was conducted by the league’s 16 women’s volleyball head coaches following the regular season and did not take postseason play into account.

The Sharks were also the recipients of numerous major awards, most notable being Chelsea Simmons’ selection as Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Carolina Rodriguez earned Libero of the Year honors. Two other student-athletes were also honored with major awards with Regis’ Ahnasia Mckinney being named Setter of the Year and Emmanuel’s Kason Huynh was voted Rookie of the Year.

Simmons head coach Pat Helmas earned Coach of the Year honors with his team also being recognized as the recipient of the Team Sportsmanship Award.

The full list of All-Conference honorees, the All-Rookie Team, and the representatives on the All-Sportsmanship Team can be viewed below.

	PLAYER OF THE YEAR Chelsea Simmons, Simmons Simmons did a little bit of everything for her team this year, serving as the starting setter in the Sharks 6-2 system. She was eighth in all of Division III with four triple doubles. She closed out the regular season ranking second in the league in service aces per set at 0.65 and was a top-10 performer in terms of assists per set, averaging just over five. Simmons also contributed defensively with 60 total blocks and averaging 2.33 digs per set. She also contributed just under two kills per set on the season. She was named Setter of the Week in the weeks ending Oct. 22 and Nov. 5.
	SETTER OF THE YEAR Ahnasia Mckinney, Regis Mckinney ran the attack for Regis all season and as a result, finished at the top of the league in both total assists with 725 and assists per set at 6.78. However, Mckinney’s skill set was spread around as she also recorded two triple-doubles during the regular season. She also had regular double-doubles, averaging over two digs and just over one kill per set. The Pride setter was also recognized by the conference five times as Setter of the Week (weeks ending Sept. 3, Sept. 10, Sept. 17, Sept. 24, and Oct. 29).
	LIBERO OF THE YEAR Carolina Rodriguez, Simmons Rodriguez was the starting libero for Simmons, leading the team in digs per set at just over digs per set overall. The Sharks had the best record in the conference this season and their strong play limited Rodriguez’s opportunities statistically, but she demonstrated her talent when given the chance. In addition to her 3.06 digs per set, she also averaged over an assist per set. As a team, the Sharks had the third-best opponent hitting percentage at .115.
	ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Kason Huynh, Emmanuel Huynh was a solid all-around year for Emmanuel in her first collegiate season as a setter/right side for the Saints. She averaged 3.77 assists, 2.25 digs, and 1.57 kills per set, while also contributing 29 total blocks. Her performance led to two triple-doubles this season and registered several double-doubles on the season. She was recognized by the GNAC multiple time with weekly awards as she was selected as the Rookie of the Week in the weeks ending Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. She also earned Setter of the Week in the week ending Oct. 1.
	COACH OF THE YEAR Pat Helmas, Simmons Helmas led Simmons to a perfect 15-0 GNAC (21-7 overall) record this year to earn the No. 1 seed in the GNAC Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament. Naturally, his squad was at or near the top of the conference in a number of statistical categories. The Sharks led the league in kills and assists and assists per set, checking in at 11.53 and 10.43, respectively. They were also troublesome defensively holding opponents to a .115 hitting percentage, the third-lowest in the GNAC. Simmons was also towards the top of the league in service aces and blocks. The Sharks dropped only five total sets in their 15-game conference schedule.

2023 Women's Volleyball All-GNAC Teams

ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM

Claire Conners, Sr., Simmons
McKenna McCool, Jr., Lasell
Ahnasia Mckinney, Sr., Regis
Juliana Medini, Jr., Lasell
Peyton Oliver, Sr., Johnson & Wales
Carolina Rodriguez, Fy., Simmons
Lily Sills, Jr., Rivier
Chelsea Simmons, Gr., Simmons
Kamdyn Tenorio, Jr., Regis

ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM

Victoria Briones, So., Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Bliss Brown, Jr., Mitchell
Isabella Marquez, So., Emmanuel
Sarah Miller, Sr., Johnson & Wales
Avery Mola, Fy., Regis
Jayla Parnell, Sr., Simmons
Aryam Serrano-Monserrate, Sr., Regis
Kat Simeonidis, Sr., Simmons

ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM

Sari Albury, Sr., Dean
Shannon Carey, Sr., U. of Saint Joseph (Conn.)
Rita Dow, Gr., Regis
Abby Jerome, Sr., Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Sydney Katz, So., Lasell
Hannah Pridgeon, Fy., Simmons
Torrance Robertson, Jr., New England College
Brynn Roche, Jr., Rivier

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Samiyah Cabrera, Elms
Larisa Comolli, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
Grace Fabiano, Regis
Kason Huynh, Emmanuel
Avery Mola, Regis
Hannah Pridgeon, Simmons
Carolina Rodriguez, Simmons
Kelsie Tretera, Johnson & Wales

MAJOR AWARDS

Player of the Year - Chelsea Simmons, Simmons
Setter of the Year - Ahnasia Mckinney, Regis
Libero of the Year - Carolina Rodriguez, Simmons
Rookie of the Year - Kason Huynh, Emmanuel
Coach of the Year - Patrick Helmas, Simmons
Institutional Sportsmanship - Simmons

ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM

Yarelis Torres, Albertus Magnus
Sarah Burt, Anna Maria
Olivia DeShane, Colby-Sawyer
Bella Driscoll, Dean
Quiana Gibbs, Elms
Brigid Moriarty, Emmanuel
Kelsie Tretera, Johnson & Wales
Emily Cerasani, Lasell
Allison Blum, Mitchell
Tatiana Sampson, New England College
Abby Kanaga, Norwich
Toni Ondris, Regis
Sofia Pawlusik, Rivier
Sam Holland, Saint Joseph's (Maine)
April Beatty, Simmons
Katina Nanos, U. of Saint Joseph (Conn.)

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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