The United Volleyball Conference announced its 2022 individual awards and all-conference teams on Thursday, April 7. The awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches. Amongst the recipients was Elmira’s Oscar Munoz Trinidad ’23, who garnered second-team honors after a successful 2022 campaign.
This season, Munoz Trinidad set the program record after recording a .905 hitting percentage against Hilbert on February 12, notching 19 kills on 21 attempts. Additionally, he ranks second on the Soaring Eagles in kills (256), digs (114), assists (266), and third in blocks (52.0).
New Paltz senior outside hitter Chris Shanley was named the 2022 UVC Player of the Year. Shanley, the UVC Player of the Week on March 28, has helped New Paltz to a 7-0 record in league play. He averaged 3.31 kills and 3.75 points per set in league play and has recorded at least 10 kills in six matches this season. Shanley is the third New Paltz student-athlete to be named UVC Player of the Year, joining Christian Smith (2016) and Matthew Grace (2020 and 2021)
David Cerqua of St. John Fisher was named the 2022 UVC Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year honor. Cerqua, a graduate student, leads the UVC and is among the national leaders with 3.15 digs per set. He is the first St. John Fisher student-athlete to earn this honor.
Vassar College’s Payne Lounsbery was named UVC Rookie of the Year. An outside hitter/libero, Lounsbery made an immediate impact for the No. 9 Brewers and was the UVC Rookie of the Week on Feb. 28. He has slammed 110 kills to go along with 67 digs, 28 blocks and 23 service aces and is tenth in the UVC with a .323 hitting percentage. Lounsbery is the third Vassar student-athlete to be named UVC Rookie of the Year, joining Zechariah Lee (2015) and current teammate Gavin van Beveren (2020).
Radu Petrus of New Paltz was named UVC Coach of the Year. New Paltz is currently ranked No. 6 in the AVCA Division III rankings with a 19-5 record. The Hawks finished 7-0 in league play and are the top-seed and will host the UVC Championship Tournament. Petrus, who led New Paltz to the 2016 and 2019 NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball Championships, was also named UVC Coach of the Year in 2016.
St. John Fisher senior Josh Bigford, the 2019 UVC Rookie of the Year and 2020 co-Player of the Year was named a UVC first team…
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