WESTON, Mass. – Regis College freshman Rachel Bartels (Edinburg, Texas) has been named the New England Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Year, it was announced on Monday afternoon. Bartels highlights three All-NECC selections for the Pride, while head coach Scott Wright was named the NECC Coach of the Year for the second-straight year.
Rachel Bartels was named to the All-Conference First Team, while Nicole Connolly (San Mateo, Calif.) and Crystina Lathrop (Houston, Texas) were named to the All-Conference Second Team. MacKenzie Emco (Sutton, Mass.) was also honored and named to the All-NECC Sportsmanship Team.
Scott Wright helped lead the Pride to a 22-10 overall mark and the program's second-straight NECC Championship and NCAA Tournament bid. The Pride will take on MIT in the NCAA's First Round on Friday afternoon. Since taking over the program in 2012, Wright has posted 75 wins – including back-to-back 20 win seasons – while leading Regis to four-straight NECC Championship match appearances and a pair of NECC crowns.
Bartels had a strong freshman campaign for the Pride, appearing in 31 matches and posting 188 kills, a .243 hitting percentage, and 61 total blocks. In those 31 matches, she posted 4+ kills in 24 matches and registered a block in 24 matches, including 14-straight to end the season. Bartels ranked 12th in the NECC in kills, fourth in hitting percentage, and led the league in blocks. She was named NECC Rookie of the Week twice this season.
Nicole Connolly had an all-around year for the Pride, ranking in the top five on the team in kills (190), kills per set (1.68), hitting percentage (.200), assists (63), service aces (54), and blocks (44), while leading the team in digs (285). The sophomore ranked 10th in the NECC in kills, ninth in hitting percentage, seventh in aces, and sixth in digs. For the second-straight season Connolly posted a hitting percentage above .200, and now has over 100 career service aces to go with 559 career digs. This marks Connolly's second All-NECC selection, while she was named to the All-Tournament Team for the second time in her career this past weekend.
Rounding out the All-NECC selections is Crystina Lathrop, who also earns her second All-Conference nod. Lathrop finished the year with 27 kills, 571 assists, 58 aces, and 238 digs – leading the Pride in assists and aces, while finishing second in digs. The sophomore finished fourth in the NECC in assists, while ranking third in aces, and 12th in digs. In two seasons with the Pride, Lathrop already has amassed 1,186 assists, 89 aces, and 405 digs in 51 career matches.