November 14, 2023

Cortland Sweeps 2023 SUNYAC Women's Volleyball Top Awards

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC announces its 2023 women's volleyball annual awards including All-Conference Teams, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the year as voted on by the conference coaches.

Player of the Year - Anna Pilkey, Cortland
Pilkey was named the 2023 SUNYAC Women's Volleyball Tournament MVP after leading her team to its third-straight and 22nd overall league crown. She totaled 26 points, 21 kills, 22 digs and added 4 aces in the tournament. So far this season, Pilkey has 339.5 points, 326 digs and 286 kills (2nd in the league) overall. She also has 40 aces and 27 blocks. The team will advance to the NCAA Division III tournament for the third-straight year.

Defensive Player of the Year - Mikenzie Martens, Cortland
Martens was named to the SUNYAC All-Tournament team after she totaled 30 digs to help lead the No. 1 seeded Red Dragons to their third-straight women's volleyball conference title. So far this season, Martens is second in the league with 459 digs. She is part of a defense that shutout 10 teams and only allowed opponents to win 29 sets over 28 matches with just three losses overall. She also has 110 assists and 34 aces. Martens and her team will face Gettysburg College in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament.

Rookie of the Year - Kira Pirrera, Cortland
In her first season with the Red Dragons, Pirrera played in 73 sets totaling 140 kills, 44 digs and 27 blocks so far. She had a season high 16 points with 13 kills against second-seeded New Paltz on October 14. She will play in her first NCAA Division III tournament on Thursday, November 16.

Coach of the Year - Erin Glickert, Cortland
Glickert, in her fifth year as Cortland's women's volleyball head coach, earns her third-straight SUNYAC Coach of the Year honors. In 2023, she led the Red Dragons to their third-straight and 22nd ovearall conference championship title after going undefeated against conference opponents. Glickert coached six all-conference team selections including the Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year winners. The team will move on to its third straight NCAA Division III tournament appearance and 27th overall as part of an eight-team regional hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. Cortland (25-3) will open against Gettysburg College (23-5) in the first round on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 4:30 p.m.

2023 SUNYAC Women's Volleyball All-Conference (PDF)

Name	Yr.	Pos.	School	Hometown/High School
First Team
Jordan Thompson	Sr.	OH	Brockport	Ashburn, VA/ Stone Bridge
Alexa Guedez	Jr.	MB	Cortland	Mamaroneck/ Rye Neck
Mikenzie Martens	Jr,	L	Cortland	Carthage/ Carthage
Anna Pilkey	Jr.	OH	Cortland	Ballston Spa/ Ballston Spa
Jamie Albrecht	Jr.	RS	New Paltz	Port Jefferson/ Springfield
Mackenzie Williams	Sr.	OH	New Paltz	Windsor/ Windsor Central
Second Team
Lexy Bloss	Jr.	MB	Cortland	York, PA/ Dallastown Area
Linda Rossi	Sr.	OH	Geneseo	Thornwood/ Valhalla
Julia Wallace	Sr.	OPP	Geneseo	Ithaca/ Ithaca
Cate Digiacomo	Sr.	S	New Paltz	West Hartford, CT/ Conard
Letisha Perez	Jr.	MH	New Paltz	Dominican Republic/ Gregorio Luperon
Payton Zophy	Sr.	OH	Plattsburgh	Clifton Park/ Shenendehowa
Third Team
Kaitlyn Jewett	Fr.	S	Brockport	Penfield/ Penfield
Alenna Williamson	So.	MB	Brockport	Roanoke, VA/ Rockbridge
Kira Pirrera	Fr.	RS	Cortland	Smithtown West/ Hauppauge
Allie Sturgess	Sr.	OH	Cortland	Stony Brook/ Ward Melville
Cecilia Dignan	Sr.	DS	Geneseo	Millbrook/ Millbrook
Madison Gamberg	Jr.	MB	Geneseo	Rockville Centre, South Side
Ashanti Davis	Sr.	MB	Oneonta	Cortlandt Manor, Hendrick Hudson