Freshman Emily Pogorelec became the first Little East Conference (LEC) Defensive Player of the Year and second Rookie of the Year in program history, while sophomore Kate Wade was selected First Team All-LEC and Head Coach Justin Turco is the second LEC Coach of the Year at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
EMILY POGORELEC - DEFENSIVE PLAYER & ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
From Wayne, N.J., Pogorelec proved to be the best libero in the LEC, leading the conference with 470 digs and 5.0 digs per set to be named the Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year The freshman tallied 20-or-more digs in nine matches and went for double-figure digs in 24 of 27 matches played. Pogorelec recorded a career-high 33 digs against Keene State on Oct. 8. Dangerous on the offensive side of the ball as well, Pogorelec finished fourth in the LEC with 53 aces and fifth with .56 aces per set.
KATE WADE - FIRST TEAM ALL-LEC
A native of San Clemente, Calif., Wade registered 286 kills for the second most in the LEC and 2.98 kills per set, which ranked third. Wade went for double-digit kills in 18 out of 27 matches played, including a season-high 16 kills at Elms on Oct. 6. The sophomore recorded 11 kills in the Corsairs' first-ever win against West Conn (Oct. 15) and tallied nine kills in the first sweep over Eastern Connecticut in program history (Nov. 1). A versatile player, Wade ranked ninth in the LEC with 268 digs and was 11th with 2.79 digs per set.
JUSTIN TURCO - COACH OF THE YEAR
In his first season at UMass Dartmouth, Justin Turco is just the second Coach of the Year in program history. Turco led the Corsairs to their most wins in a single season since 2012 with 19 and their third-ever home playoff match. UMass Dartmouth won its first match in program history over West Conn and swept Eastern Connecticut for the first time ever. Under the guidance of Turco, the Corsairs went on two separate five-match winning streaks, including one with all sweeps.
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