On Wednesday, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) announced that East Stroudsburg University women's volleyball middle blocker Anna Coulter was named the AVCA and D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year and was selected to the All-Atlantic First Team.
Libero Marta Leeland earned AVCA Atlantic Region Honorable Mention and head coach Tricia Melfy was named the AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
Coulter became the first Warrior to earn D2CCA and AVCA All-Region First Team honors three times each and Player of the Year honors for both.
Coulter was awarded PSAC East Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive year, becoming the first female and second student-athlete at ESU to earn back-to-back-to-back honors. She also became the second player in volleyball history to earn All-PSAC East First Team honors in all four years. This season, she collected five of the eight total weekly PSAC honors the volleyball team earned. On top of winning the PSAC Tournament, Coulter was named the MVP after she combined for an impressive 41 kills, 21 total blocks, six service aces, and 60.5 points throughout the tournament.
In the PSAC, Coulter led in blocks/set (1.67), total blocks (190.0), and in points (562). She also ranked second in kills (409) and fourth in kills/set (3.59). Nationally, she is tied for first in blocks/set, first in total blocks, 13th in points/set, and 36th in hitting percentage (.353). Throughout her career, Coulter has tallied 1,334 kills, 508 total blocks, and 1,807 points.
Freshman Marta Leeland is the second libero in program history to earn AVCA Atlantic Region Honorable mention, the first since 2009.
She tabbed All-PSAC East First Team honors after stepping into the libero role for the Warriors during her first season. She appeared in all 31 matches and 114 sets. Leeland ranked second in the PSAC in aces/set (0.48) and is 41st nationally. She recorded a high of six service aces on Nov. 8 against West Chester.
Head coach Tricia Melfy is the first coach in program history to earn AVCA Region Coach of the Year honors. This season, Melfy led the team to their sixth PSAC Championship title in program history and their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. Nationally, the Warriors are ranked third in blocks/set (2.67), fourth in total blocks (304.0), 18th in service aces (236), and 15th in W-L percentage.
Melfy recently reached 100 wins at ESU on Nov. 21 with their three-set win over Indiana (Pa.) in the PSAC Semifinals. During her time at ESU she has led the Warriors to 101 wins, a .692 winning percentage, made appearances in the PSAC Tournament all five years, a PSAC Championship title, and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Under fifth year head coach, the team will enter the NCAA tournament with a 26-5 overall record and a 14-match win streak.
