Bertucci and Brantley earn major awards as three Mountain Hawks are named first team All-League
11/18/2014 10:00:00 AM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh volleyball head coach Bob Bertucci has been named the Patriot League Coach of the Year while sophomore libero Mariah Brantley earned Patriot League Libero of the Year honors, the league announced Tuesday morning. In addition to Bertucci and Brantley's major awards, senior Jade Van Streepen and juniors Amy Matula and Stephanie Slater were named first team All-Patriot League.
Bertucci led Lehigh to a 21-9 overall record that included a 14-2 Patriot League record. After a 20-win season last year, the Mountain Hawks secured back-to-back 20-plus win campaigns for just the second time in program history. A pair of 22-win seasons in 1981 and 1982 was the only other time Lehigh accomplished the feat. The Mountain Hawks 14 Patriot League victories are the most in program history as Lehigh qualified for its fourth-straight Patriot League Tournament after making the postseason just once in the seven years prior to Bertucci's start at Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks ended the regular season on a nine-match winning streak, the longest since a nine-match run in 1978. Bertucci is just the second Lehigh volleyball coach to ever earn Coach of the Year honors after Jack Casteel did so in 1993.
Brantley's Libero of the Year award marks the fourth-straight year the honor is given to a Lehigh student-athlete. Brantley put together an outstanding sophomore campaign in her first year as a Lehigh starter. The libero set the single-season digs record on Nov. 1 against Navy as she recorded her 499th dig of the season to surpass the previous record of 488 that was set in 1987 by Bonnie Bejsovec. Brantley finished the regular season with 560 digs, which currently ranks fourth on the Patriot League's single-season digs leaderboard. Her 5.33 digs per set average ranks 16th-best in all of Division I. In addition to her outstanding defense, Brantley led the Mountain Hawks with 31 service aces and also contributed 113 assists. The Ashburn, Va. native becomes just the second player to ever earn the Patriot League Libero of the Year award after former Mountain Hawk standout Rachel Charles earned the recognition three years in a row.
Van Streepen earns her second All-League honor after collecting second team plaudits a season ago. The outside hitter led Lehigh with 285 kills this season and her 3.00 kills per set average ranks fifth in the Patriot League. She finished the season with 266 digs, good for an average of 2.8 per set, and recorded six double-doubles throughout the season. The Austin, Texas native hit .253 in Patriot League play with an average of 3.13 spikes per set. Van Streepen earned two Patriot League Player of the Week awards this season after leading the Mountain Hawks to wins over Colgate, Bucknell and regular-season champion American.
Matula earns the first All-Patriot League laurel of her career following a standout junior campaign. The setter tallied 1,024 assists in 104 sets, good for an average of 9.85 assists per set that ranks second in the Patriot League. She recorded an average of 10.14 assists per set during Patriot League play to help Lehigh to its program-record 14 wins. The Memphis, Tenn. Native excelled defensively as well, tallying 299 digs which ranks second on the team. Matula registered 16 double-doubles throughout the season to go along with 80 kills, a .276 hitting percentage and 19 total blocks. She led a Lehigh team that ranked first in the Patriot League in assists per set with a team average of 12.10.
Slater emerged as one of Lehigh's most consistent offensive weapons this season as the right-side hitter tallied 253 kills and a .284 hitting percentage that ranks sixth in the league. The McDonald, Pa. native recorded an impressive .337 hitting percentage and 3.21 kills per set in Patriot League play to help Lehigh to a second-place finish and 14-2 league mark. Strong defensively as well, Slater also contributed 40 total blocks and 65 digs in addition to eight service aces and seven assists. This is the first All-League honor of Slater's career.
Lehigh earned the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will face No. 3 Navy in the semifinals Saturday at 4 p.m., while top-seeded American will take on No. 4 Army. The winners of the semifinal matches will advance to Sunday's championship match, which is set for 1 p.m. All matches can be viewed for free on the Patriot League Network.
Like Lehigh volleyball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates and team content.
Player of the Year: Monika Smidova, American
Libero of the Year: Mariah Brantley, Lehigh
Setter of the Year: Monika Smidova, American
Rookie of the Year: Carolyn Bockrath, Army
Coach of the Year: Bob Bertucci, Lehigh
First team All-Patriot League
Allison Cappellino, American
Kelly McCaddin, American
Monika Smidova, American
Nicole Perri, Army
Amy Matula, Lehigh
Stephanie Slater, Lehigh
Jade Van Streepen, Lehigh
Katie Sylakowski, Navy
*Eight players due to a tie in the voting
Second team All-Patriot League
Kristyna Lindovska, American
Carolyn Bockrath, Army
Vanessa Edwards, Army
Diane Seely, Colgate
Mandy Sifferlen, Holy Cross
Alli Graf, Navy
Bertucci led Lehigh to a 21-9 overall record that included a 14-2 Patriot League record. After a 20-win season last year, the Mountain Hawks secured back-to-back 20-plus win campaigns for just the second time in program history. A pair of 22-win seasons in 1981 and 1982 was the only other time Lehigh accomplished the feat. The Mountain Hawks 14 Patriot League victories are the most in program history as Lehigh qualified for its fourth-straight Patriot League Tournament after making the postseason just once in the seven years prior to Bertucci's start at Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks ended the regular season on a nine-match winning streak, the longest since a nine-match run in 1978. Bertucci is just the second Lehigh volleyball coach to ever earn Coach of the Year honors after Jack Casteel did so in 1993.
Brantley's Libero of the Year award marks the fourth-straight year the honor is given to a Lehigh student-athlete. Brantley put together an outstanding sophomore campaign in her first year as a Lehigh starter. The libero set the single-season digs record on Nov. 1 against Navy as she recorded her 499th dig of the season to surpass the previous record of 488 that was set in 1987 by Bonnie Bejsovec. Brantley finished the regular season with 560 digs, which currently ranks fourth on the Patriot League's single-season digs leaderboard. Her 5.33 digs per set average ranks 16th-best in all of Division I. In addition to her outstanding defense, Brantley led the Mountain Hawks with 31 service aces and also contributed 113 assists. The Ashburn, Va. native becomes just the second player to ever earn the Patriot League Libero of the Year award after former Mountain Hawk standout Rachel Charles earned the recognition three years in a row.
Van Streepen earns her second All-League honor after collecting second team plaudits a season ago. The outside hitter led Lehigh with 285 kills this season and her 3.00 kills per set average ranks fifth in the Patriot League. She finished the season with 266 digs, good for an average of 2.8 per set, and recorded six double-doubles throughout the season. The Austin, Texas native hit .253 in Patriot League play with an average of 3.13 spikes per set. Van Streepen earned two Patriot League Player of the Week awards this season after leading the Mountain Hawks to wins over Colgate, Bucknell and regular-season champion American.
Matula earns the first All-Patriot League laurel of her career following a standout junior campaign. The setter tallied 1,024 assists in 104 sets, good for an average of 9.85 assists per set that ranks second in the Patriot League. She recorded an average of 10.14 assists per set during Patriot League play to help Lehigh to its program-record 14 wins. The Memphis, Tenn. Native excelled defensively as well, tallying 299 digs which ranks second on the team. Matula registered 16 double-doubles throughout the season to go along with 80 kills, a .276 hitting percentage and 19 total blocks. She led a Lehigh team that ranked first in the Patriot League in assists per set with a team average of 12.10.
Slater emerged as one of Lehigh's most consistent offensive weapons this season as the right-side hitter tallied 253 kills and a .284 hitting percentage that ranks sixth in the league. The McDonald, Pa. native recorded an impressive .337 hitting percentage and 3.21 kills per set in Patriot League play to help Lehigh to a second-place finish and 14-2 league mark. Strong defensively as well, Slater also contributed 40 total blocks and 65 digs in addition to eight service aces and seven assists. This is the first All-League honor of Slater's career.
Lehigh earned the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will face No. 3 Navy in the semifinals Saturday at 4 p.m., while top-seeded American will take on No. 4 Army. The winners of the semifinal matches will advance to Sunday's championship match, which is set for 1 p.m. All matches can be viewed for free on the Patriot League Network.
Like Lehigh volleyball on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive updates and team content.
Player of the Year: Monika Smidova, American
Libero of the Year: Mariah Brantley, Lehigh
Setter of the Year: Monika Smidova, American
Rookie of the Year: Carolyn Bockrath, Army
Coach of the Year: Bob Bertucci, Lehigh
First team All-Patriot League
Allison Cappellino, American
Kelly McCaddin, American
Monika Smidova, American
Nicole Perri, Army
Amy Matula, Lehigh
Stephanie Slater, Lehigh
Jade Van Streepen, Lehigh
Katie Sylakowski, Navy
*Eight players due to a tie in the voting
Second team All-Patriot League
Kristyna Lindovska, American
Carolyn Bockrath, Army
Vanessa Edwards, Army
Diane Seely, Colgate
Mandy Sifferlen, Holy Cross
Alli Graf, Navy
Players Mentioned
Libero
/ Volleyball
Libero/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball2025 Lehigh Volleyball Season Preview
Friday, August 29
Lehigh Sports Central: Volleyball
Wednesday, September 25
Season Preview: Volleyball
Wednesday, August 28
Volleyball's Natalie Luscomb and Makena Smith represent USA in 18th Annual Global Challenge
Tuesday, October 31
