FLUSHING, N.Y. – On Thursday, Nov. 21 the East Coast Conference announced its postseason awards, and a program record six Queens College women's volleyball student-athletes were awarded with All-Conference honors.
While fifth-year head coach
Stefan Leger was named the 2024 Coach of the Year by his peers.
Queens College placed the most student-athletes on the 2024 All-ECC teams with five Knights earning All-ECC Second Team honors and one Honorable Mention. The six All-ECC honors set a new program record and the most in a single season since the 2004 year when Queens earned four honorees.
On the sideline in his sixth season and fifth in charge of the women's volleyball program Leger was awarded his first Coach of the Year honors. Leger is just the second head coach in program history to earn the honor since the late Hall of Fame coach Aline Pascale Lubin was awarded her fourth coach of the year honors in 2004.
The 2024 season has been an impressive year for Leger and his squad. In the ECC preseason poll the Knights were voted to finish fourth, but Queens would quickly put that poll behind them. During the regular season, the Knights posted an overall record of 19-10 and 9-3 in conference play. The 9-3 ECC record would earn Queens a share of the ECC Regular Season Championship, their first regular season title since the 2004 season. Leger and the Knights earned their third straight appearance to the East Coast Conference Volleyball Tournament as the #2 seed, their second #2 seed in three seasons.
The 19 wins are currently the seventh most in program history, and the most wins since the 2008 season. Of their 19 wins Leger and his coaching staff guided Queens to nine wins inside Fitzgerald Gymnasium, the most since 2008, seven road wins, the most since 2015, and three wins at a neutral site.
Under Leger's guidance the Knights began the season with a 6-0 record, their best start in program history, and recorded an eight-match win streak, the most wins in a row since the 2004 season.
All-ECC Second Team Honors – Despina Boudouris (Athens, Greece)
For the second straight season, Boudouris has earned All-ECC Second Team honors.
In her final season as a Knight, the senior appeared in all 29 matches recording 677 assists, 25 service aces, 32 kills, and 194 digs to go with five double-doubles.
Among the ECC the senior is ranked fourth in total assists, and fifth in Assists per set.
During the regular season, Boudouris recorded a season-best four kills, 41 assists vs. Bridgeport (9/6), 18 digs vs. Post (9/13), and recorded a career-best five service aces vs. Holy Family (9/25)
Through the 11 ECC Weekly Report Sheets Boudouris earned six honor roll spots.
All-ECC Second Team Honors – Christina Franco (Lynbrook, N.Y.)
For the fourth time in her career, Franco has earned All-ECC honors. The Lynbrook native who earned Honorable Mention her rookie and sophomore year has found a spot on the Second Team for the second straight year.
In her final year as a Knight the senior outside hitter has put a stellar senior year recording 206 kills, 34 service aces, 324 digs, and 15 blocks to go with eight double-doubles.
Franco is ranked sixth in digs per set, eighth in total attacks, and fifth in total digs among the ECC schools.
During the year Franco recorded a season-high 17 kills vs. Saint Anselm (9/14), three assists vs. Merc (10/19), 18 digs vs. D'Youville (10/6), and tied a career-best five service aces vs. Molloy (10/10).
Through the 11 ECC Women's Volleyball Weekly Report Sheets Franco has earned one ECC Player of the Week honors and three Honor Roll spots.
All-ECC Second Team – Madi Hathaway (Edmond, OK)
Behind an outstanding regular season rookie campaign Hathaway has earned All-ECC Second Team honors becoming the third rookie in the last four years under Leger's guidance to earn All-ECC honors.
The rookie setter/right side has put together a stellar first year in Flushing having recorded 252 kills, 317 assists, a team-high 40 service aces, 233 digs, and 54 total blocks. In 27 matches during the regular season, Hathaway recorded nine double-doubles and eight triple-doubles, with eight triple-doubles leading the ECC and the third most in the nation.
The rookie is ranked first in the ECC in triple-doubles, seventh in service aces, ninth in points per set, and 11
th in aces per set. Hathaway recorded a career-best 18 kills on two separate occasions against Bridgeport (9/6) and D'Youville (11/3), 27 assists vs. East Stroudsburg (9/13), 19 digs vs. Post (9/7), six blocks at Mercy (11/16), and 13 service aces vs. Holy Family (9/25). The 13 service aces set a new program record for the most aces in a single match. Hathaway's 13 aces performance is the best three-set performance against other Division II competitions and the second most aces in Division II this year.
Through the 11 ECC Women's Volleyball Weekly Report Sheet Hathaway has been named ECC Player of the Week on three separate occasions and Rookie of the Week six times to go with three honor roll spots.
All-ECC Second Team Honors – Sarah Munn (Torrance, CA)
For the first time in her career, Munn has found a spot on the All-ECC Conference team.
The junior libero has put together an outstanding junior year recording a career year with 492 digs, 118 assists, and 35 service aces to go with one double-double in 29 matches played.
Among the ECC Munn is ranked first in digs per set, and total digs and 12
th in service aces.
The 492 digs are a single-season program best, while her 35 digs vs. D'Youville (10/6) are the most digs recorded in a single match in program history.
The Torrance native recorded her first career-double vs. Post (9/7) as she notched a career-best 11 assists and has tied a career-best four service aces on two separate occasions this year vs. Georgian Court (9/25) and at Molloy (10/24).
Through the 11 ECC Weekly Report Sheets Munn earned three four honor roll spots.
All-ECC Second Team – Lindsay Osterhoudt (Orlando, FLA.)
For the first time in her career, Osterhoudt has earned All-ECC honors.
The junior middle blocker has recorded a stellar career year in her third year in Flushing notching 181 kills, seven assists, nine service aces, 19 digs and 90 total blocks with 27 block solos and 63 block assists in 28 matches played. The 90 total blocks are the 11
th most in a single season.
Among the ECC Osterhoudt is ranked first in total blocks, and second in blocks per set, and hitting percentage.
The junior recorded a season-high 11 kills at West Chester (10/26), and career-best performances notching four service aces, nine total blocks, seven block assists, and four digs at D'Youville (11/3) and tied a career-best four blocks vs. East Stroudsburg (9/13).
Through the 11 ECC Weekly Report Sheets, Osterhoudt has earned one Defensive Player of the Week honors and four Honor Roll spots.
All-ECC Honorable Mention – Kendall Conrad (Carrolltown, PA)
For the second straight year, Conrad has found a spot on the All-ECC teams earning Honorable Mention.
Among the ECC the junior outside hitter is ranked second in total attacks, fifth in attacks per set, and seventh in total kills, and points per set. In 28 matches played Conrad recorded a team-high 273 kills, 27 service aces, 108 digs, a career-season-best of 61 blocks notching 23 solo blocks and 38 block assists to go with two double-doubles.
On the year Conrad recorded a season-best 17 kills in the victory versus D'Youville (10.6), 14 digs in the victory over Roberts Wesleyan Sunday (9/29), a career-best five service aces against Pittsburgh-Johnston on Saturday (9.14), a career-best five blocks in the victory over Georgian Court on Friday (9/27) and four block solos in the victory over D'Youville on Sunday (10/6).
Through the 11 ECC Women's Volleyball Weekly Report Sheet Conrad has earned four Honor Roll spots.
NEXT MATCH
Having earned the #2 seed Leger and the Knights open the ECC postseason tournament on Friday, Nov. 22 against the #3 seed Mavericks of Mercy University for a spot in the ECC Championship match. The first serve is set for 7:30 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), and Instagram (qcknightsny), women's volleyball (qcknightsvb).
