NEWARK, Del. - - For the first time in the program's NCAA era, the Wilmington University volleyball team placed two student-athletes on an All-Region team, as Kacey Affrunti and Elly Collins earned spots on the 2022 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-East Team.
For the fourth time in her collegiate career, graduate student Kacey Affrunti (Bayport, New York) has been named All-Region, capping her amazing volleyball career with another First Team All-Region accolade. For the first time in her career, Elly Collins (Tarpon Springs, Florida) earned a spot on the Second Team D2CCA All-East Region as a libero. The D2CCA All-Region awards are voted on by the region's sports information directors.
Kacey Affrunti led the Wildcats in putting down 2.84 kills per set while hitting at a .344 clip, ranking third in the CACC. Her 1.07 blocks per set is fourth most in the CACC while ranking 53rd in NCAA DII. Affrunti had 16 matches with double digit kills, including a season high 20 at Post. She had 17 kills and 10 total blocks in a 3-1 win over Jefferson on October 4. Prior to Wilmington, she was the 2019 D2CCA East Region Player of the Year and First Team All-Region, as well as a two-time Second Team All-Region performer while at Molloy. She was also a three-time AVCA First Team All-Region performer, voted on by the coaches.
Elly Collins led the CACC and is currently 57th in NCAA DII in averaging 4.70 digs per set. Her 526 digs also led the CACC and is the seventh most in a single season in the program's NCAA era. Collins had 30 or more digs in three matches this year, including an incredible 31 in three sets at Caldwell. Her season high came at the Wildcat Regional Invitational tallying 34 in four sets against Adelphi. Collins now has 1,700 career digs, ranking second all-time in program history. She is 287 digs behind the all-time leader Shelby Henderson (2012-15) who finished her career with 1,987.
The duo join Katie Shorter (2012) and Angel Oliver (2021) as the only other two Wildcats named All-Region in the sports' NCAA era.
Jefferson's Jess Molen was voted the 2022 D2CCA East Region Player of the Year. Three student-athletes from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference were named to the First Team while four more were named Second Team All-Region performers.
2022 D2CCA NCAA Division II Volleyball All-East Region Team
First Team
Pos. – Name – School
OH – Andrea Serra& - American International
OH – Maggie Burns – Daemen
OH – Jess Molen* - Thomas Jefferson
MH/B – Kacey Affrunti – Wilmington
MH/B – Marissa Mullins – Bridgeport
L/DS – Jamie Yonker* - Adelphi
S – Naomi Eckert-Rivera^ - American International
Second Team
Pos. – Name – School
OH – Paolo Soto Burgos – American International
OH – Nylene Mateo – Georgian Court
OH – Macy Brown – New Haven
MH/B – Vanessa Kuliga – Daemen
MH/B – Sam Mann^ - Thomas Jefferson
L/DS – Elly Collins – Wilmington
S – Mia Caporellie – Chestnut Hill
2022 East Region Player of the Year: Jess Molen, Thomas Jefferson*
& 2019 & 2021 D2CCA East Region First Team Selection
* 2021 D2CCA East Region First Team Selection
^ 2021 D2CCA East Region Second Team Selection