GNAC Women's Volleyball Athlete's of the Week Report #6

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

McKenna McCool, Lasell (Sr., OH)

Senior outside hitter McKenna McCool was instrumental in the Lasers' perfect 4-0 week (2-0 in conference play). On Tuesday (Oct. 1), McCool tallied 12 kills, six digs, and four service aces in a GNAC Championship rematch over Regis, sweeping the Pride 3-0. She followed up on Thursday (Oct. 3) with seven kills, nine digs, and three service aces in another 3-0 sweep against Saint Joseph's (Maine). McCool continued her stellar play on Saturday (Oct. 5), recording 13 kills and nine digs in a 3-1 victory over a strong William Paterson team. She capped off the week by notching 10 kills, three service aces, and three digs in a hard-fought 3-2 win over Wentworth, where she achieved a major career milestone, recording her 1,000th career kill.

SETTER OF THE WEEK

Brooke Patnode, Colby-Sawyer (Sr., S)

Senior setter Brooke Patnode had an outstanding week, distributing 87 assists and 36 digs across three matches as the Chargers swept all their opponents. On Thursday (Oct. 3), she recorded 31 assists and eight digs in a victory over Mass Maritime. Patnode continued her strong performance on Saturday (Oct. 5), achieving a double-double with 26 assists and 15 digs in a 3-0 win against New England College. Later that day, she notched another double-double against Mitchell, contributing 30 assists and 13 digs. Throughout the week, Patnode averaged an impressive 9.67 assists per set and 4.00 digs per set. She currently leads the GNAC in total assists (471) and ranks second in assists per set (7.60).

LIBERO OF THE WEEK

Audra Fontes, Colby-Sawyer (Sr., L)

Senior libero Audra Fontes was a key player for the Chargers this week, totaling 50 digs across three matches as they secured victories in all three, including two conference wins. On Thursday (Oct. 3), in a 3-0 sweep over Mass Maritime, Fontes recorded 16 digs and contributed three assists. On Saturday (Oct. 5) against New England College, she added an additional 13 digs and three assists in another 3-0 victory. Later that same day, Fontes capped off her week with an impressive 21 digs in a 3-0 win against Mitchell. Throughout the week, she averaged 5.56 digs per set and currently leads the GNAC in total digs (294) and ranks fourth in digs per set (4.67). Additionally, she made history by becoming fifth all-time in digs for Colby-Sawyer.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Alexandra Rivera, Regis (Fy., S)

First-year setter Alexandra Rivera delivered an impressive performance in Regis' three conference matches this week, helping the team to a 2-1 record. She totaled 56 assists and 10 digs over the course of the week. To start off on Tuesday (Oct. 1), Rivera recorded nine assists and three digs in a setback at Lasell. She bounced back on Saturday, (Oct. 5), by contributing 12 assists, two service aces, and three digs in just one set during a 3-0 victory over Anna Maria. Rivera’s standout performance came later that day against the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), where she achieved a season-high 35 assists, along with four digs and two kills, in a dominant 3-0 sweep.