BIDDEFORD, Maine – For the first time in program history, a Suffolk volleyball player captured a conference major award as Kenzley Bell garnered Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Libero of the Year, the league office unveiled in its postseason awards announce. Bell headlined four All-CCC selections with first-team status, while Harmony Johnson and McKenna Keowen receiving spots on the second team and Alina Nowakowski picking up a third-team nod.
Not only did a Ram take home a league's major award in Bell's Libero of the Year nod, but the foursome of Bell, Johnson, Keowen and Nowakowski set a program record of student-athletes to pick up all-conference distinction in the same season, surpassing the previous mark of two honorees, which was achieved four times including the last two seasons that all-league distinction was awarded, 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Bell, a senior captain from Lake Park, led the conference with 429 digs at an average of 4.61 digs per game. She accumulated 20 or more digs in seven separate occasions this season. For her defensive prowess, she was recognized as CCC Libero of the Week twice Oct. 3 and Oct. 17.
Not only is Bell capping off her collegiate career as the first-ever major award winner in the Rams record book, but she sits second all-time on Suffolk's all-time digs list with 1,101 career digs. Earlier this year she became the third-ever player in blue-and-gold to join the 1k-dig club, achieving the feat in 76 matches versus Manhattanville, Oct. 8, 2022.
The first-team recognition is not only a first-time achievement for Bell, who grabbed her first all-league accolade a year ago with a third-team nod, but is first time a Suffolk libero garnered the feat in the program's history.
Keowen saw her second straight all-conference honor after receiving a first-team distinction as a freshman last season. This year, the sophomore from San Ramon, California, paced Suffolk's 11.26 kills per set offense with 241 kills to average 3.17 kps herself and was a main ingredient on the defensive side of the ball as well with 2.26 dps, good for third on the squad.
Another player who ventured cross country from the Golden State to compete collegiately, Johnson wrapped up her collegiate career in 2022 with her first second-team honor of her career and second all-league distinction, first since 2019 when she grabbed a third-team nod from the GNAC. The Riverside, California product set-up Suffolk's attack with 7.26 aps. Along the way, she became the Rams all-time leader in assists when she recorded her 1,822-career handout in a 3-0 sweep at Roger Williams, surpassing the previous mark held by Julie Sullivan for over a decade. She did not stop there as Johnson would go on to become the first-ever in Suffolk history to dish out 2,000 assists, achieving that milestone feat in the 2022 CCC Semifinals at Gordon. Johnson will graduate 2,022 careers handouts.
Bell, Johnson and Keowen all received their second all-conference recognition this year to join an elite group of Rams who have previously done so. With the addition of this threesome, Suffolk has now seen eight student-athletes all-time receive multiple all-league accolades in their careers.
Nowakowski rounded out the Rams' honorees with her first distinction, a third-team nod. The sophomore middle blocker from Mansfield, Massachusetts, led the way at the net with 54 blocks to average 0.55 bps to go along with 1.63 kps.
The quartet were instrumental to Suffolk's success this year. They helped the Rams tie the program records in wins with a 20-10 overall mark and push the blue-and-gold to its best finish in the CCC at 6-3 versus league foes en route to fourth-place finish in the standings, Suffolk's highest in the league in program history.
In the postseason, Suffolk won its first-ever five-set playoff match, a 3-2 quarterfinal decision over Salve Regina, to reach the CCC semis for the first time. The Rams took a top-seeded Gordon to a fifth and deciding set, but ultimately fell to the Fighting Scots to conclude their campaign.
Over just two short seasons in the CCC, Suffolk has accumulated seven awards from the conference: one libero of the year, with two first-team, two second-team and two third-team, honors. When combined with Suffolk's All-GNAC accolades, the Rams have now garnered 27 all-conference accolades including one libero of the year, six first-team selections, six second-team nods and 14 third-team honors.
2022 ALL-CCC WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Year - Amanda Gilbert, Endicott
Libero of the Year - Kenzley Bell, Suffolk
Rookie of the Year - Riley Schoonmaker, Wentworth
CCC Scholar-Athlete - Sarah Scott, Western New England
Coach of the Year - Sue Kelly, Gordon
Team Sportsmanship - Curry
ALL-CCC FIRST-TEAM
Amanda Gilbert, Endicott
Colleen McAvoy, Endicott
Annie Murphy, Gordon
Valerie Nilan, Gordon
Sarah Scott, Western New England
Brighton Solheim, Salve Regina
Libero - Kenzley Bell, Suffolk
ALL-CCC SECOND-TEAM
Ashley Cao, Wentworth
Lauren Davenport, University of New England
Kate Howe, Gordon
Harmony Johnson, Suffolk
McKenna Keowen, Suffolk
Riley Waggoner, Wentworth
Libero - Emma Ruel, Endicott
ALL-CCC THIRD-TEAM
Siena DeCicco, Salve Regina
Ella Koelb, Endicott
Lauren McGrath, Endicott
Alina Nowakowski, Suffolk
Krystina Schueler, Endicott
Jordan Shaduk, Gordon
Libero - Liz Diorio, Nichols