NEW HAVEN, Conn. - - The opening weekend of the 2019 fall season produced a number of wins and a number of student-athletes recognized as the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference announced the first Weekly Award winners of the year.
In total, the Wildcats produced six Players of the Week, led by volleyball nearly sweeping the podium after a 3-1 weekend. Men's soccer added two more Players of the Week and one more on the weekly honor roll, while the women's soccer team saw one student-athlete on the weekly honor roll as well.
A pair of newcomers appeared on the Volleyball Report, as freshman Dorie Moore was named the CACC Rookie of the Week and freshman Elly Collins was named the CACC Defensive Player of the Week. Sophomore Sarah Couch was named the CACC Setter of the Week while redshirt junior Bailey Andrews was named a Co-Player of the Week with Georgian Court's Amy Bruno.
Dorie Moore led all prominent hitters with a .346 average on the weekend, putting down 25 kills on 52 attempts with only seven errors for a .346 attack percentage. She averaged 2.08 kills per set, and had a weekend's best 14 kills on 24 swings against Franklin Pierce. She also had a team high nine aces on the weekend, with four coming against Franklin Pierce and four more against Queens.
Elly Collins currently leads the CACC with a 5.38 digs per set average after the opening weekend, have at least 15 in all four matches. She had a weekend's best 5.75 digs per set with 23 digs in four sets against Franklin Pierce, adding 16 against both Saint Rose and Molloy. She also chipped in with seven service aces, including five against Franklin Pierce.
Sarah Couch stepped into the starting setter role and is currently the only CACC setter averaging more than 10 assists a set. She had a weekend's best 44 assists in four sets against Franklin Pierce, but an even better 12.0 assists per set average with 36 assists in three sets against Saint Rose. She added 31 assists against Queens and 23 against Molloy as well. She is average 10.31 assists per set after four matches.
Bailey Andrews led the team in averaging 3.18 kills per set over the weekend, all while hitting .301 in four matches. She put down 13 kills on 24 swings for a .458 attack percentage against Saint Rose, and added another 13 kills with a .333 attack percentage against Franklin Pierce.
On the soccer pitch, Lorne Bickley returned with a splash, being named the CACC Player of the Week while senior centerback Joe bell was named a Co-Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Newcomer Gabriel Prgomet was also named on the Weekly Honor Roll for his role as a goalkeeper in the two wins.
Lorne Bickley stepped back onto the field for the first time since October 30, 2017, missing all of 2018 due to an injury, and collected his second career hat trick. He added an assist as well, collecting seven points to help defeat Millersville, 5-1. He scored the first two goals of the game, and then finished the hat trick with the final goal of the game.
Joe Bell aided the Wildcats in defeating the District of Columbia in the season's second match, heading home a corner from Ben Jordan in the 100th minute. His second career goal was the game-winner, beating the Firebirds 1-0. He also anchored the defense that only allowed one goal in over 189 minutes, good enough for a 0.48 GAA and a 2-0 record.
Women's soccer redshirt junior Jessica Unsihuay led the Wildcats to a 1-1 start to the 2019 season, scoring twice in a 3-2 win at New York Tech on Friday. She was named to the CACC Weekly Honor Roll for her efforts.