BEVERLY, Mass. – For the second straight season, Suffolk volleyball saw four Rams earned All-CCC distinction as the Commonwealth Coast Conference announced the 2023 awards. McKenna Keowen was named to the first team, Grace Cervenka was selected to the second team and Sami Shore and Jessica Weber received spots on the third team.
The four all-conference recognitions tie a program record, set by the 2022 squad a year ago. The quartet were crucial components in Suffolk's second straight CCC Semifinal run after capturing a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 first round upset at Gordon, the program's first triumph over the Fighting Scots in over a decade.
Keowen picked up her third all-conference honor of her career, second first-team nod. The junior from San Ramon, California cemented her spot in Suffolk's record book as the program's all-time leader in kills, achieving the feat September 30 at WestConn and went on to finish the season with 282 kills, now just 135 shy of the coveted 1,000-kill mark. The captain anchored the attack with 2.79 kps and aided to the defensive effort with 3.15 dps.
Keowen is the first Ram to earn three all-league distinctions in her collegiate career, receiving the recognition in each of her collegiate campaigns thus far. She is among an elite group of Rams to receive multiple all-conference accolades. Throughout its history, Suffolk has seen just nine student-athletes all-time pick up multiple all-league awards in their careers.
Cervenka, a sophomore middle blocker from Sugar Land, Texas, was a huge threat at the net with 0.73 blocks per set against CCC counterparts, the sixth-best in the league, while her overall 0.67 bps ranked seventh. Offensively, her .283 hitting clip in league play sat sixth-best.
Weber, a junior outside hitter, provided the second-most kills per set to the Rams' attack at 2.51 kps. In conference play, that number inflated to 3.29 kps, the fourth-best in the league.
Shore made a name for herself in her freshman campaign. The middle blocker from Wrentham, Massachusetts, provided 1.83 kps to the offense, on a .299 hitting percentage, which ranked fifth in the conference. She truly shined defensively though with 0.85 bps, which landed third in the CCC ranks. In CCC contests, Shore supplied 1.20 bps, the most blocks per set by an individual.
Cervenka, Shore and Weber all garnered all-league status for the first time in their careers.
In three seasons in the CCC, Suffolk has accumulated 11 awards from the conference: one libero of the year, three first-team, three second-team, and four third-team honors. When combined with Suffolk's All-GNAC accolades, the Rams have garnered 31 all-conference accolades including one libero of the year, seven first-team selections, seven second-team nods and 16 third-team honors. Under Scott Blanchard's guidance Suffolk has racked up 14 all-conference awards, including the program's only major accolade, 2022 CCC Libero of the Year, Kenzley Bell.
2023 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL ALL-CCC TEAM
Player and Rookie of the Year: Emma Sanders, Wentworth
Libero of the Year: Emma Ruel, Endicott
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Riley Waggoner, Wentworth
Coach of the Year: Nick Baldecchi, Wentworth
Team Sportsmanship Award: Curry
All-CCC First-Team
Krystina Schueler, Endicott
Kate Howe, Gordon
Annie Murphy, Gordon
McKenna Keowen, Suffolk
Emma Sanders, Wentworth
Alissa Hawes, Western New England
Emma Ruel, Endicott
All-CCC Second-Team
Hadley Helenbrook, Endicott
Julia Giroux, Endicott
Grace Cervenka, Suffolk
Viktoria Pavlyuk, University of New England
Kate McLane, Wentworth
Olivia Vaughn, Wentworth
Liz Diorio, Nichols
All-CCC Third-Team
Joey Keltner, Gordon
Peyton Felix, Roger Williams
Sami Shore, Suffolk
Jessica Weber, Suffolk
Riley Schoonmaker, Wentworth
Riley Waggoner, Wentworth
Yemayma Molina, Western New England
Amanda Zweifler, Wentworth