University of Delaware Athletics
Mason Tabbed As ECAC Offensive Player of the Year
12/17/2022 5:00:00 PM | Volleyball
DANBURY, Conn. – Make room for one more! University of Delaware volleyball senior outside hitter Lani Mason was named the 2022 ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, announced Friday morning by the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Along with taking top player honors, the Chester, Va. native earned a spot on the All-ECAC first team.
Mason concluded the 2022 season averaging the best numbers in her third year in the Blue & Gold uniform. This season, she has led the nation in kills per set from Oct. 2 through Oct. 13 and currently ranks sixth in the nation with 5.10 kills per set. Mason closed out the campaign averaging 5.54 points p/set (career-best 604 points), 5.03 kills p/set (career-best 548 kills) and 2.83 digs p/set (career-best 308 digs) in 109 sets played. Exceeding expectations, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year led the Blue Hens to its first CAA title match since 2016 and landed on the All-Tournament team after averaging 5.23 points p/set (68 total), 4.46 kills p/set (58 total) and 4.69 digs p/set (45 digs).
Mason has nailed down double-digit kills in 19-straight matches, including posting five 30-plus kill (two consecutive) performances. Her notable match this season include exploding for a career-best mark of 38 kills at Charleston (Oct. 2), which now sits atop the program history books, along with scooping up a career-high 24 digs in the five-set victory. Mason set a second career-best 35 kills against Northeastern (Nov. 18), which sits second in the program history books in most kills in a single match category. Mason had a career-best 17 double-doubles (kills/digs) on the season (longest streak: four matches), has been tabbed CAA Offensive Player of the Week four times and named GameChanger/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week once, becoming the first Blue Hen to ever receive the national nod.
Mason led the conference in kills per set, kills, points per set and points. As of Dec. 15, she ranks among the NCAA in points per set (6th), total kills (8th), points (11th), attacks per set (13th, 12.16) and total attacks (19th, 1,325).
Earlier this week, Mason was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as a 2022 AVCA All-American honorable mention, becoming the first player in Delaware program history since Stephanie Barry in 2007 to collect All-America recognition.
ECAC Division I Women's Volleyball All-ECAC First Team*
Kiera Booth – Villanova University, Jr., MB
Lydia Wiers – Towson University, Sr., MB
Lani Mason – University of Delaware, Sr., OH
Madi Tyus – Saint Francis University, So., OH
KJ Johnson – Fairfield University, Sr., OH
Lindsey Kelly – Princeton University, Sr., S
Hope Matschner – Iona University, Jr., L
ECAC Division I Women's Volleyball All-ECAC Second Team*
Tatijana Fucka – Fairleigh Dickinson University, Gr., MB
Barbora Hoskova – Long Island University, Sr., OH
Erica Staunton – Northeastern University, Sr., OH
Sasha van der Merwe – Marist College, Jr., OH
Zyare Abdul-Rahim – Hofstra University, Jr., RS
Avery Luoma – Princeton University, Jr., RS
Ella Bourque – Canisius College, Fr., S
Anastasia Scott – Long Island University, Gr., L
*additional due to ties in voting
Offensive Player of the Year: Lani Mason – University of Delaware Outside Hitter
Defensive Player of the Year: Hope Matschner – Iona University Libero
Rookie of the Year: Lucia Scalamandre – Princeton University Middle Hitter
Coach of the Year: Don Metil – Towson University Coach
ABOUT THE ECAC
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is an eighty-four-year-old organization with well over 200 member schools across all three NCAA Divisions - I, II and III. The ECAC exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics and provides great value for universities and colleges by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the Northeast. The ECAC's esports platform is growing and now totals more than sixty colleges and universities and is expanding the geographic footprint for the conference nationally. The ECAC is also sponsoring competitions and leagues involving other varsity and club sports that do not fall under the umbrella of the NCAA.
BLUE HENS on SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the University of Delaware Volleyball, follow the Blue Hens via social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Mason concluded the 2022 season averaging the best numbers in her third year in the Blue & Gold uniform. This season, she has led the nation in kills per set from Oct. 2 through Oct. 13 and currently ranks sixth in the nation with 5.10 kills per set. Mason closed out the campaign averaging 5.54 points p/set (career-best 604 points), 5.03 kills p/set (career-best 548 kills) and 2.83 digs p/set (career-best 308 digs) in 109 sets played. Exceeding expectations, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year led the Blue Hens to its first CAA title match since 2016 and landed on the All-Tournament team after averaging 5.23 points p/set (68 total), 4.46 kills p/set (58 total) and 4.69 digs p/set (45 digs).
Mason has nailed down double-digit kills in 19-straight matches, including posting five 30-plus kill (two consecutive) performances. Her notable match this season include exploding for a career-best mark of 38 kills at Charleston (Oct. 2), which now sits atop the program history books, along with scooping up a career-high 24 digs in the five-set victory. Mason set a second career-best 35 kills against Northeastern (Nov. 18), which sits second in the program history books in most kills in a single match category. Mason had a career-best 17 double-doubles (kills/digs) on the season (longest streak: four matches), has been tabbed CAA Offensive Player of the Week four times and named GameChanger/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week once, becoming the first Blue Hen to ever receive the national nod.
Mason led the conference in kills per set, kills, points per set and points. As of Dec. 15, she ranks among the NCAA in points per set (6th), total kills (8th), points (11th), attacks per set (13th, 12.16) and total attacks (19th, 1,325).
Earlier this week, Mason was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as a 2022 AVCA All-American honorable mention, becoming the first player in Delaware program history since Stephanie Barry in 2007 to collect All-America recognition.
ECAC Division I Women's Volleyball All-ECAC First Team*
Kiera Booth – Villanova University, Jr., MB
Lydia Wiers – Towson University, Sr., MB
Lani Mason – University of Delaware, Sr., OH
Madi Tyus – Saint Francis University, So., OH
KJ Johnson – Fairfield University, Sr., OH
Lindsey Kelly – Princeton University, Sr., S
Hope Matschner – Iona University, Jr., L
ECAC Division I Women's Volleyball All-ECAC Second Team*
Tatijana Fucka – Fairleigh Dickinson University, Gr., MB
Barbora Hoskova – Long Island University, Sr., OH
Erica Staunton – Northeastern University, Sr., OH
Sasha van der Merwe – Marist College, Jr., OH
Zyare Abdul-Rahim – Hofstra University, Jr., RS
Avery Luoma – Princeton University, Jr., RS
Ella Bourque – Canisius College, Fr., S
Anastasia Scott – Long Island University, Gr., L
*additional due to ties in voting
Offensive Player of the Year: Lani Mason – University of Delaware Outside Hitter
Defensive Player of the Year: Hope Matschner – Iona University Libero
Rookie of the Year: Lucia Scalamandre – Princeton University Middle Hitter
Coach of the Year: Don Metil – Towson University Coach
ABOUT THE ECAC
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is an eighty-four-year-old organization with well over 200 member schools across all three NCAA Divisions - I, II and III. The ECAC exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics and provides great value for universities and colleges by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the Northeast. The ECAC's esports platform is growing and now totals more than sixty colleges and universities and is expanding the geographic footprint for the conference nationally. The ECAC is also sponsoring competitions and leagues involving other varsity and club sports that do not fall under the umbrella of the NCAA.
BLUE HENS on SOCIAL MEDIA
For the latest on the University of Delaware Volleyball, follow the Blue Hens via social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Players Mentioned
OH
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