COLOINIA, N.J. – It was another strong week for the D'Youville University athletic department, having four student-athletes receive East Coast Conference weekly awards!
Cameron Ulinski, Women's Volleyball – ECC Defensive Player of the Week
Ulinski opened the two-match stretch with six digs and three blocks in the sweep of Queens College, then elevated her game against Molloy with a team-high 19 digs and four total blocks in a five-set battle. Across both contests, Ulinski racked up 25 digs and seven blocks, showing the ability to protect the floor in the back row while also controlling the net at the front.
Alina Bertens-Deckart, Women's Volleyball – ECC Setter of the Week
Bertens-Deckart was the driving force behind D'Youville's offense this past weekend, as always showing her ability to run the floor with poise and consistency. In the sweep over Queens, she dished out 27 assists while also adding five digs and an ace to guide the Saints to an efficient .275 hitting percentage. She followed that up with a standout performance against Molloy, recording 47 assists and 10 digs for a double-double, along with two service aces. Across the two matches, Bertens-Deckart totaled 74 assists, 15 digs, and three aces, proving to be the steady hand that allowed the Saints' hitters to thrive while also contributing in the back row and from the service line.
Erika Ismailova, Women's Tennis – ECC Rookie of the Week
Ismailova made the deepest run for the Saints in the ITA East regional, cementing herself as a leader of this young DYU team. Ismailova reached the round of 16 in Singles play, defeating Jedidah Xu of Saint Michael's College by a score of 6-2, 6-3. She continued her run by defeating Chestnut Hill College's Claudia Romero 6-2, 6-0. That resulted in a Saints vs. Saints matchup where Ismailova (#4 singles) took on
Nele Herbst (#2 Singles), with Ismailova taking a hard-fought match 6-3, 3-6, 10-8 in a tiebreak. In doubles, Ismailova and Herbst ran into a tough matchup in the round of 32 as they faced an eventual championship doubles team from Queens, falling 8-2. Her performance showed the depth and growth of DYU tennis and is an example of things to come for a talented team.
Miranda Bosch, Women's Tennis – ECC Honor Roll
Bosch made history for the Saints as she picked up the first win in program history at the ITA East Regional, winning her first singles match against Genesis Beltran of Adelphi University. Bosch went on to drop her round of 64 match after winning the first set 6-0, losing in a 13-11 tiebreak in a highly competitive match. As a freshman, Bosch showed grit and resilience the entire weekend. In doubles play, Bosch and partner,
Munisa Ashurbekova, were able to defeat STAC's Shreethika Vangala/Mar Caneves Bufi by a score of 8-6, advancing to the round of 16.
Elaina Williams, Women's Cross Country – ECC Honor Roll
Williams continues to have a strong start to her freshman campaign, placing 30th with a time of 19:34.7 at the Harry F. Anderson Invitational hosted by Roberts Wesleyan University. Williams' time re-wrote the Saints cross country record book, setting a new mark for a freshman runner.
