WESTON, Mass. - The Regis College men's volleyball team is represented by four student-athletes on the 2022-23 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Men's At-Large Team for NCAA Division III: graduate student Orlando Plagata (Los Angeles, Calif.), recent graduate Marcello Cappuccio (Scotch Plains, N.J..), and rising juniors Tyrell Bucasas (Waialua, Hawaii) and Sam Segura-Suarez (Berwick, Pa.).
After graduating from Colby-Sawyer College last year, Plagata enrolled in the master's degree program for strategic sports communications at Regis and contributed to the Pride's second straight appearance in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Volleyball Tournament. He appeared in 63 sets within 20 matches for the Pride, earning 98 kills, 13 assists, 16 service aces, 97 digs, and 16 total blocks.
In his first match for Regis Jan. 14 at MIT, he earned eight kills and hit .375 in the contest. In a sweep at Elms March 25, Plagata finished with eight kills, a .294 hitting percentage, and a season-high 13 digs. He finished with a season-high 13 kills along with three block assists at Emmanuel April 4.
Cappuccio adds another award to his crowded virtual trophy case after receiving AVCA All-Northeast Region honors earlier this spring. The GNAC Libero of the Year and First Team All-GNAC selection, Cappuccio finished the 2023 season eighth in the country in digs per set with a school-record 3.24 digs per set, totaling 311 digs to break his own single-season school record by 74 digs.
The 2022-23 Regis Outstanding Male Senior Student-Athlete of the Year, Cappuccio reached double figures in digs 15 times during the season, including a school-record 27 digs in a five-set victory at Emerson Feb. 2. He graduated from Regis earlier this month with his bachelor's degree in sport management.
Bucasas solidified his spot as the team's setter during the 2023 season, finishing with 681 assists, second-most in a single season in program history. He also became the second player in Regis men's volleyball history to pass the 1,000-assist mark during his collegiate career and ended the season 50th in Division III in assists per set at 7.65.
Bucasas earned 20 or more assists on 16 occasions during the past season, including a career-high 44 assists at Emerson Feb. 2 and against Elms March 21. He also notched four double-doubles in 2023, featuring a 42-assist, 20-dig performance against Emerson April 1. Bucasas is majoring in sport management at Regis.
Segura-Suarez appeared in 28 sets within 18 matches for the Pride during the 2023 campaign. In Regis' 3-0 victory at Purchase March 6, he earned his first career kill, plus he collected two digs and made just one reception error in 12 chances.
Called upon to provide defensive support for the Pride, Segura-Suarez earned a season-high three digs against Dean April 8, plus he collected five service aces during the season. He is majoring in secondary education and teaching the humanities.
The 2022-23 Academic All‐District® At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators and announced by the national organization Tuesday, May 23, recognize the nation's top student‐athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The Academic All-District® Men's At-Large Teams include student-athletes participating in fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo, and wrestling.
Academic All‐District® honorees advance to the College Sports Communicators Academic All‐America® ballot. First‐, second-, and third‐team Academic All‐America® honorees will be announced Wednesday, June 21.
Regis College sponsors 20 intercollegiate sports, including men's volleyball, within NCAA Division III as a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.