COLONIA, N.J. – Mercy University Women's Volleyball junior Stasa Stamenkovic (Bor, Serbia/Barton CC) has been named the East Coast Conference (ECC) Women's Volleyball Player of the Week for Week Eight, senior Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) has been tabbed Defensive Player of the Week, and senior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) has received Co-Setter of the Week. Junior Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) earned Honor Roll recognition.
Stamenkovic had a team-high 36 kills and 5.14 kills per set on .354 hitting with 13 digs, three blocks, two aces and one assist as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The junior opened the week with a double-double by way of a match-high 17 kills on .682 hitting to go with 10 digs, one block, and one ace in the sweep at Queens on Thursday. Stamenkovic ended the week with a match-high 19 kills to go with three digs, two blocks, one ace and one assist in the four-set win at Daemen on Sunday. The junior recorded three straight kills to end the third set, giving Mercy the 26-24 win, after trailing 24-23 with the match tied at 1-1.
Illes-Hair had a team-high nine blocks (2 solo, 7 assists) and 1.29 blocks per set with 14 kills, three digs, and two assists as Mercy went 2-0. The senior opened the week with five kills, two blocks (1 solo, 1 assist), two digs, and one assist in the sweep at Queens on Thursday. The middle blocker ended the week with nine kills on .500 hitting with a match-high-tying seven blocks (1 solo, 6 assists) and one dig in the four-set win at Daemen on Sunday.
Rivera Rodriguez had a team-high 63 assists and 9.00 assists per set with eight digs, one block, one kill and two aces as Mercy went 2-0 on the week. The senior opened the week with a match-high 33 assists to go with two digs, and one ace in the sweep at Queens on Thursday. The setter then had a match-high 30 assists with six digs, one block, one ace and one kill in the four-set win at Daemen on Sunday to keep Mercy a perfect 6-0 in ECC action.
Dilena had 19 kills on .262 hitting with a team-high 23 digs and 3.29 digs per set, three blocks, two aces and one assist as Mercy went 2-0. The junior opened the week with nine kills on .467 hitting to go with 11 digs, and one ace in the sweep at Queens on Thursday. The outside hitter ended the week with a double-double by way of 10 kills and a match-high 12 digs in the four-set win at Daemen on Sunday. Dilena added three blocks, one ace and one assist in the win.
The award is the sixth for Stamenkovic this season and the junior has now been named Player of the Week twice this season. Illes-Hair is named Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this year and has now earned three awards this season. Rivera Rodriguez is named Setter of the Week for the seventh time this season and Dilena earns her eighth award of the year. Mercy has now earned 31 awards this season.
Head Coach Ana Todorovic and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday when they host Roberts Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m.
