Mullen's Rookie of the Year Award Highlights All-GNAC Selections

WINTHROP, Mass. – Freshman outside hitter Sean Mullen (Longwood, Fla.) was named the 2015 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and was a third team all-conference selection while five of his teammates were also honored as the GNAC announced its major award winners and all-conference teams.

Joining Mullen as all-conference honorees are sophomore middle hitter Alex Potts (Niverville, N.Y.) and sophomore outside hitter Jake Reed (Arvada, Colo.), who were named to the first team, sophomore setter Collin Ritter (Feeding Hills, Mass.) who earned a spot on the second team, and sophomore libero Mike Rogachefsky (Rochester, N.Y.), who joined Mullen on the third team. Additionally, senior outside hitter Rami Akouri (Fall River, Mass.) was named to the conference's all-sportsmanship team.

The GNAC Rookie of the Week five times and ECAC Rookie of the Week once, Mullen had an impressive rookie campaign for the Leopards as he averaged 2.52 kills, 1.40 digs, 0.62 aces, and 0.34 blocks per set. He had 17 kills against MIT on January 31, served seven aces against Johnson & Wales on February 23, had 10 digs on two occasions, and six block assists against Emmanuel on March 24. His 60 aces establishes a single-season program record.

Potts, a three-time GNAC Defensive Player of the Week and two-time ECAC Player of the Week, averaged 2.15 kills and 1.14 blocks per set while hitting .392. He had career-highs of 13 kills against Albertus Magnus on January 29 and eight blocks against New Jersey City on February 7. His eight blocks against NJCU tied a program record for blocks in a three-set match. In two seasons Potts is averaging 1.90 kills and 1.12 blocks per set while hitting .368 and his 88 block assists this season are the second-highest in a single season in program history.

Reed, a Third Team All-GNAC selection a season ago, was named to the first team this season after averaging 3.14 kills, 0.56 service aces, 1.28 digs, and 0.51 blocks per set. The GNAC's Offensive Player of the Week twice and a one-time ECAC Player of the week, he had a career high seven service aces and his 53 aces this season are the second highest single-season total in program history. For his career Reed is averaging 2.99 kills, 1.37 digs, 0.43 service aces, and 0.47 blocks per set and ranks first all-time in program history with 0.43 service aces per set and fifth in attack percentage at .253.

A First Team All-GNAC selection a season ago, Ritter averaged 9.82 assists, 1.62 digs, and 0.76 blocks per set this season. He was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week twice, the league's defensive player of the week twice, and was the ECAC Player of the Week once. Ritter had a career high 19 digs against MIT and twice matched his career high of six blocks. Through two seasons, Ritter is averaging 9.91 assists, 1.48 digs, and 0.68 blocks per set. He is first in program history in assists per set and his 1,963 assists are third on the program's all-time list.

Rogachefsky earns a spot on the third team after averaging 1.78 digs per set in 28 matches (77 sets). He had a career-high 16 digs against Emmanuel on March 5 and had 12 digs in a 3-1 win over then-number five Springfield on February 14.

For a second straight season Akouri earns a spot on the conference's all-sportsmanship team. After missing the first 10 matches due to an injury, he battled back to average 1.24 kills and 0.41 blocks per set. A co-captain of this year's squad, he had played in 88 career matches and is averaging 1.65 kills, 1.35 digs, and 0.62 blocks per set over his four years.

At 22-8 Wentworth, which spent the majority of the season in the AVCA Top 15 and was regionally ranked by the NCAA, advanced to the GNAC semifinals for the second straight season where the Leopards fell to eventual champion Lasell. Wentworth hopes to get an ECAC Tournament berth, which will be announced this afternoon.