EC WELL REPRESENTED ON GNAC MEN’S VOLLEYBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Men’s Volleyball team was well represented on the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men’s Volleyball All-Conference Teams, landing a total of four players on the squads, it was announced by the conference earlier this week. Senior setter Nick Updike (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) earned First Team honors, sophomore outside hitters Ashanti Jackson (Sacramento, Calif.) and Zach Whitermore (Whitehall, Pa.) were named to the Second Team while freshman middle hitter Julian Hess (Santa Monica, Calif.) was named to the Third Team.
BOSTON, Mass. – The Emmanuel College Men's Volleyball team was well represented on the 2013 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Men's Volleyball All-Conference Teams, landing a total of four players on the squads, it was announced by the conference earlier this week. Senior setter Nick Updike earned First Team honors, sophomore outside hitters Ashanti Jackson (Sacramento, Calif.) and Zach Whitermore (Whitehall, Pa.) were named to the Second Team while freshman middle hitter Julian Hess (Santa Monica, Calif.) was named to the Third Team.
Updike earns First Team All-Conference honors for the third consecutive season, leading the Saints to the GNAC Championship for the second consecutive year and third time in four seasons. The tri-captain put together another impressive campaign, leading the conference in assists (1,083), aces (70) and aces per set (.64). His .64 aces per set is good for fourth overall in the nation while his 9.85 assists per set rank 10th in the country. The senior dished out 20+ assists in 29 of his 30 matches on the year including a season-high of 54 against Rivier University on March 30.
Updike graduates as the program's all-time leader in assists (3,629), matches played (132) and sets played (431). He also ranks third all-time with 222 aces and fifth all-time in digs with 540.
After appearing on the First Team in 2012, Jackson lands a spot on the Second Team in 2013. The sophomore led the Saints while ranking eighth in the GNAC averaging 2.75 kills per set. Jackson also ranked 10th in the GNAC in points per set with a 3.2 average. The outside hitter played all the way around on the court, collecting 130 digs and 37 total blocks to go along with his 242 kills. Jackson notched double-digit kill totals in 11 matches including a season-high of 19 against Rivier University on March 30.
In just two years, Jackson has established himself as one of the program's most dangerous hitters, ranking ninth all-time with 532 kills.
Whitermore appears on the Second Team for the second consecutive season after another strong campaign, ranking second on the team and 12th in the GNAC averaging 2.41 kills per set. The sophomore was also in the top 10 in the league in service aces (24) and aces per set (.25). The Whitehall, Pa. native was consistently a threat all season long, registering five or more kills in 24 matches. Whitermore was also selected to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship team.
Over his two seasons, Whitermore has totaled 448 kills to rank 11th all-time in program history.
Hess enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign en route to being named to the GNAC Third Team. The middle hitter led the Saints while ranking fifth in the GNAC with a .325 attacking percentage, which also ranked 28th in the nation. The middle hitter was named the GNAC Rookie of the Week on two occasions and produced the second-best single-match hitting percentage (.909 – 10 kills, 0 errors, 11 attempts) in the Saints 3-0 victory over Emerson College in the GNAC Semifinals on April 11.
The Saints wrapped up the 2013 campaign with an overall record of 18-14, finishing second in the GNAC with a 12-2 conference mark before falling to Rivier University in the GNAC Finals on April 13, 3-1. Emmanuel will look to challenge for its first GNAC title in 2014, returning all but one from this year's roster.