COLONIA, N.J. – Mercy University Women's Volleyball junior Grace Dilena (New York, N.Y./Liberty University Online Academy) has been named the East Coast Conference (ECC) Women's Volleyball Player of the Year, senior Adriana Rivera Rodriguez (Humacao, Puerto Rico/American International College) has been tabbed Setter of the Year and Head Coach Ana Todorovic has earned Coach of the Year honors, headlining six Mavericks named to the ECC All-Conference Teams, as announced by the conference office earlier today. Dilena, Rivera Rodriguez, senior Mia Illes-Hair (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central) and junior Stasa Stamenkovic (Bor, Serbia/Barton CC) were named First Team All-ECC, and senior Janneliz Rodriguez Fuentes (Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico/Academia Cristo Rey) and junior Aleksandra Lucic (Belgrade, Serbia/Florida SouthWestern State College/AIC) received Second Team All-ECC.
Dilena, the unanimous ECC Player of the Year, was the ECC leader in kills per set and points per set this season, averaging 4.18 kills and 4.77 points, marks that ranked 8th and 10th in NCAA Division II, respectively. She played in 82 sets for Mercy this fall, totaling 391.0 points, 343 kills, 39 service aces, and 10 assists, while recording a .365 hitting percentage offensively. Among ECC players, Dilena ranked second in total kills, total points, and hitting percentage, while ranking fifth in aces per set, and seventh in attacks per set and service aces. Defensively, she totaled 179 digs (2.18 per set) and 17 blocks (1 solo, 16 assisted). Dilena totaled double-digit kills in 18 out of 25 matches to lead the Mavericks, surpassing 20 kills four times in a season in which the Mavs played more than three sets just six times. In 2026, she was named ECC Player of the Week an ECC-most seven times. Dilena is named All-Conference for the third straight year and receives First Team honors for the second straight year.
A now three-time ECC Setter of the Year, Rivera Rodriguez ran away with an ECC-most nine Setter of the Week awards during the season. She topped the ECC in assists per set (9.92) and ranked second in total assists (764). The senior played in 77 out of 85 sets for Mercy this fall and added 51 kills and 32 service aces with 177 digs and 25.0 blocks. Against ECC competition, Rivera Rodriguez was at the top of the conference leaderboard in assists per set (9.26) and ranked second in total assists (361). Rivera Rodriguez totaled 30+ assists in 15 of 23 matches, she led the conference with 30 or more assists in 11 three-set matches, and her 53 assists against Monroe on September 3, was the second most by any ECC player this season in a match. Rivera Rodriguez is named All-Conference for the third straight year and receives First Team honors for the second straight year.
Todorovic earned back-to-back ECC Coach of the Year honors in a vote by her peers after leading Mercy to its second straight ECC Regular Season title and No. 1 seed in the ECC Championship for the second consecutive year. In her fifth year at the helm of the Mavericks, Todorovic led Mercy to a 24-1 overall record and a perfect 12-0 ECC mark, winning the program's sixth regular season title and their most ECC and overall wins in a single season under her leadership. They became the first team to run the table in the ECC since Daemen in 2023. Todorovic's Mavs spent the final four weeks of the season ranked first in the NCAA East Region, boasted the highest NPI out of all East Region schools at 21st nationally to conclude the regular season.
Illes-Hair is named All-Conference for the second straight year and receives First Team All-Conference for the first time. The three-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week has started all 25 matches and has 156 kills, .400 hitting percentage, and a team-high 74 blocks (12 solo, 62 assists). The senior is third in the ECC in total blocks and second in blocks per set (0.87). She ranks 16th nationally in hitting percentage and had six matches with five or more total blocks and two matches with double-digit kills. Illes-Hair had a season-high eight blocks and 11 kills in the win over Daemen on October 4th.
Stamenkovic receives All-Conference honors following her first season as a Maverick. The two-time ECC Player of the Week and one-time Defensive Player of the Week has started all 25 matches and has 271 kills, a .318 hitting percentage, 33 aces, 194 digs and 29 blocks. The junior is second on the team in kills and digs and third on the team in aces and fourth in blocks. She had four double-doubles and 14 matches with double-digit kills. Stamenkovic had a season-high 24 kills and 16 digs in the win at Monroe on September 3rd.
Rodriguez Fuentes takes home All-Conference accolades for the first time in her career. The one-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week has started 24 matches and has 128 kills, a .348 hitting percentage, 20 aces, and 72 blocks (21 solo, 51 assists). The senior leads the ECC in blocks per set (0.89) and solo blocks. She had five matches with five or more blocks and two matches with double-digit kills. Rodriguez Fuentes had a season-high six blocks in the win over Chestnut Hill on September 5th and a season-high 10 kills in wins over Daemen and Southern Connecticut State.
Lucic is named All-Conference following her first season as a Maverick. The three-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week has started all 25 matches and has 175 kills, a .269 hitting percentage, 48 aces, 202 digs and 55 blocks. She leads the team in digs and aces and is third in kills and blocks. The junior ranks 17th nationally in service aces per set (0.56) and has two double-doubles this season. Lucic has six matches this season with double-digit digs and five matches with double-digit kills. She had a season-high 14 kills and 17 digs in the win over Daemen on October 4th.
