Matthews & Holmes Receive All-CCC Recognition
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Senior outside hitter Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.) and senior middle blocker Cassandra Holmes (Ellington, Conn.) of the Western New England University volleyball team were both recognized when the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) announced its major award winner and All-CCC selections on Monday night.
Matthews earned second team honors for the second consecutive season, while Holmes landed on the third team.
Matthews led the Golden Bears and ranked sixth in the CCC with 2.86 kills per set during the regular season. She also averaged 3.17 digs per set, good for 13th in the conference.
The Salem, N.H. native appeared in 26 matches, compiling 10+ kills on 19 occasions. She recorded a career-best 20 kills in Western New England's 3-2 win over Framingham State on September 10. Matthews also tallied 10+ digs 18 times, with a season-high total of 24 in the Golden Bears' 3-2 setback to the University of New England on September 24. Overall, the senior captain registered 15 double-doubles (10+ kills & 10+ digs), including a streak of five straight from August 31-September 7.
Holmes earns All-CCC accolades for the first time in her career after averaging 2.32 kills and 0.73 blocks per set. Holmes, who hit a team-best .272 during the regular season, led the CCC in total blocks (80) and ranked seventh in the league in blocks per set (0.73).
The Ellington, Conn. native appeared in 28 matches, totaling 10+ kills in 12 contests. She matched her career-high with 17 kills while hitting .394 in Western New England's 3-2 win over Worcester State on September 21, before turning in a 16-kill (.367), five-block effort two matches later in a 3-2 loss to UNE. Holmes had at least one block in all but one match this season, and the senior racked up seven blocks on two occasions.
Western New England (12-17, 2-6 CCC), which earned the No. 7 seed in the CCC Tournament, will travel to second-seeded Roger Williams on Tuesday night for a quarterfinal round matchup.
