October 26, 2009
Rieger, Crawford Sweep NECC Honors Again
- Eagles Take Both Weekly Awards For Third Time In 2009 -
 

Kristina Rieger leads the NECC in aces per game.

Nashua - For the third time this season, the Daniel Webster College women’s volleyball team has swept the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) weekly awards.

Senior middle block Kristina Rieger of Concord, N.H. and freshman Chelsey Crawford of Westfield, Mass. have been named Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively by the NECC office after guiding the Eagles to a 3-0 record last week including a 2-0 mark in NECC play.

Rieger, who was also named NECC Player of the Week on October 12th, averaged 2.22 kills per game over nine games and hit .341 overall (20 k, 6 e, 41 att) and added a team best 20 serving aces (2.2 pg), 14 digs (1.6 pg) and chipped in with five total blocks.

Rieger opened the week with four kills, two aces and four digs in a 3-0 victory over Lyndon State on October 20th. She followed with eight kills against one error to hit .438, knocked down seven aces, and added four digs and four total blocks in the Eagles NECC sweep of Lesley University on October 24th and finished that same afternoon with another eight kills, a career high 11 aces, six digs and a block as the Eagles swept Becker College to complete a NECC tri-match sweep.

Chelsey Crawford is both the NECC's total kills and hitting percentage leader.

On the season, Rieger is averaging 1.63 kills per game and is hitting .218 overall (96 k, 37 e, 271 att). She stands as the Eagles and the NECC leader with a team high 73 aces (1.24 pg) and is adding 125 digs (2.12 pg) and 19 total blocks.

For Crawford, her award marks the fifth time she has been honored by the NECC this season, including her fourth rookie of the week award.

Crawford was devastating at the net, leading the Eagles with a remarkable .514 hitting percentage, averaging 3.43 kills over just seven total games played. She added nine aces, two digs and five total blocks.

Crawford belted out a match high 10 kills in just two games of the sweep of Lyndon State on October 20th, hitting .533 with just two errors in 15 attempts and added four aces and two solo blocks.

Crawford followed with six kills, three aces and three total blocks in three games against Lesley and closed her week with eight kills, hit .700 with one error in 10 attempts, and added two aces and two blocks against Becker.

On the year, Crawford leads the Eagles and the entire NECC in total kills (149), kills per game (2.57), and hitting percentage (.325). She also leads the Eagles in total blocks (41) and has added 29 aces and 54 digs.


Under the guidance of second year Head Coach Braden Zamore, the Eagles have won eight of their last 10 and stand 13-5 overall (6-0 NECC). The Eagles, who have yet to drop a set to an NECC team this season, have clinched at least a share of the NECC regular season title as one league game remains.

Also, for the second straight season, the Eagles have clinched the top seed for the NECC championship tournament which takes place on the College campus on Saturday, November 7th.

The Eagles return to action on Wednesday when they host intra-city and longtime archrival Rivier College at 7:00 p.m. in a non-league matchup.