Center Valley, Pa — Loyola Maryland – the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Volleyball Championship– received three of the League’s five volleyball major awards when the League office announced its postseason honors on Tuesday. First-place and regular-season champions, American, and No. 2 seed Navy each captured one major award.
Greyhounds’ freshman libero Katie Forysthe earned both the Patriot League Volleyball Libero of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards. Forsythe’s head coach, Alija Pittenger picked up her first Patriot League Volleyball Coach of the Year honor. These are the first major League volleyball awards won by the Greyhounds.
American senior outside hitter Aleksandra Kazala was named Patriot League Player of the Year, while Navy senior setter Patricia Mattingly rounded out the awards as she collected setter of the year. Both Kazala and Mattingly have won the award for each of the past three years.
Seven student-athletes were named to the 2018 Patriot League Volleyball First Team and the second team. Of the 14 all-League selections there are four seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, one freshman, and one graduate student.
The Eagles led the way with four overall all-League selections, followed by Navy with three. Colgate, Lehigh and Loyola Maryland each had two student-athletes receiving All-League honors, while Army West Point earned one All-League spot.
The major awards and All-Patriot League teams were voted on by the nine Patriot League volleyball head coaches, who could not vote for their student-athletes or themselves.
2018 Patriot League Player of the Year
Aleksandra Kazala, American, Sr., OH, Debica, Poland/V LO im. K.K. Baczynskiego
* Kazala paced the Eagles in kills per set with 3.56, which ranks second in the Patriot League.
* This is the third time she has earned Patriot League Volleyball Player of the Year, after receiving it in 2017 and 2016. She also has received player of the week two times this season.
* The senior has also produced 2.70 digs per set, 49 block assists, to go with a .240 hitting percentage.
2018 Patriot League Setter of the Year
Patricia Mattingly, Navy, Sr., S, New Albany, Ind./Our Lady of Providence
* Mattingly ended the regular season averaging 8.96 assists per set, which ranks third in the conference.
* The senior also has earned 72 total kills, a .215 hitting percentage and five blocks.
* She earned Patriot League Volleyball Setter of the Year in 2016 and 2017, while being part on the first-team in both years.
2018 Patriot League Libero and Rookie of the Year
Katie Forsythe, Loyola Maryland, Fr., L, Perry, Ohio/Gilmour Academy
* The rookie set the Patriot League and Loyola single-season record for digs, finishing the regular-season with 681 after playing every set of the year as the Greyhounds’ libero.
* Through games of Monday, November 12, Forsythe is second in NCAA Division I in total digs, and her 5.92 per set ranks third.
* During the 2018 season, Forsythe is a six-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week honoree and was named the
VolleyMob.com National Player of the Week in October.
2018 Patriot League Coach of the Year
Alija Pittenger, Loyola Maryland
* This season Pittenger has led the Greyhounds to their first Patriot League Volleyball Championship appearance since Loyola Maryland joined the League in 2013.
* Loyola’s 9-7 record in the League ranks as the most conference wins Loyola has had since 2007.
* In 2015, she took over a program that went 2-27 overall and 0-16 in the Patriot League the year prior and turned it into a team that finished tied for third in the regular-season.
2018 Patriot League Volleyball All-Patriot League Teams and Major Awards
Player of the Year: Aleksandra Kazala, American, Sr., OH
Setter of the Year: Patricia Mattingly, Navy, Sr., S
Libero of the Year: Katie Forsythe, Loyola Maryland, Fr., L
Rookie of the Year: Katie Forsythe, Loyola Maryland, Fr., L
Coach of the Year: Alija Pittenger, Loyola Maryland
All-Patriot League First Team
Aleksandra Kazala, American, Sr., OH
Helena Elbaek, American, So., Opp.
Alex Stein, Colgate, Jr., OH
Ann Ernst, Loyola Maryland, Jr., OH
Katie Forsythe, Loyola Maryland, Fr., L
Patricia Mattingly, Navy, Sr., S
Maddi Sgattoni, Navy, So., OH
All-Patriot League Second Team
Loren McKenzie, American, GS, MB
Kennedy Etheridge, American, Sr., S
Courtney Horace, Army West Point, Jr., OH
Alli Lowe, Colgate, So., OH
Emily Poole, Lehigh, Jr., MB
Hannah Wright, Lehigh, So., RS
Katie Patrick, Navy, Sr., MH
Note: Teams are listed in alphabetical order by school
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.