Men's Volleyball: Six Raiders tabbed All-Conference; Roth earns GNAC DPOY
Story written and posted by Anthony Perry, Rivier University Sports Information Director
WINTHROP, MASS. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference released their annual Men's Volleyball All-Conference team and major award winners earlier today as voted upon by the league's eight head coaches.
Senior Cam Roth (Coventry, R.I.) and longtime Head Coach Craig Kolek were major award recipients as Roth was chosen as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year and Kolek was selected by his peers as the GNAC Coach of the Year. Roth becomes the first Raider chosen as the GNAC Defensive Player of the Year since 2017 (Garrett Bucklin) and Kolek earns his second straight (fifth overall) Coach of the Year award.
In total, four Raiders were placed on the All-Conference First team and two others garnered Third-team selections that guided the team to an overall record of 12-4 prior to the spring shutdown last month due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and were receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Top-15 National Poll.
Roth earned his spot on the All-Conference First-team after having a solid start to his senior season. The libero appeared in 39 sets over 12 matches as he totaled a 2.72 digs per average, fourth best in the GNAC. Roth totaled 106 digs on the year while also dishing out 30 assists. Roth was a second-team selection in 2019 and a third-team selection in 2017.
Joining Roth on the first-team was classmate Pedro Campos (Downey, Calif.). Campos, the 2019 GNAC Offensive Player of the Year, returns to the All-Conference first-team after directing the Raider offensive attack to a .274 hitting percentage. The veteran setter dished out a team-high 446 assists along with leading the conference with a 9.70 assists per set average. He also added 32 kills, 22 total blocks and 11 service aces over his 46 sets played in 2020.
Another first-team returnee is senior David Smith (Clinton, Ohio). Smith was once again the leader on the outside for Rivier as he led the team with 182 kills and a 3.43 kills per set average, which was good for second in the GNAC. Smith also led the team in service aces (28) while collecting 28 total blocks and scooping up 99 digs (1.87 digs per set average) over his 53 sets played. This is Smith's third consecutive year as an All-Conference team member after earning first-team honors in 2019 and second-team honors in 2018.
Senior Francis Kokoros (Braintree, Mass.) was the newcomer to the All-GNAC first-team as he earned his first all-conference selection after providing to be force in the middle of the court. Kokoros finished the season with a team-high 45 total blocks, including 14 block solos, while also contributing offensively with 122 kills over his 53 sets played. His 2.30 kills per set average was second-best (Smith) on the team and he recorded the team-high with a .364 hitting percentage.
Also making their debuts to a GNAC All-Conference team were sophomores Kristjan Cortez (Freemont, Calif.) and Sokunbuth Ly (Lowell, Mass.). Both were chosen to the All-Conference Third-team in 2020.
Cortez enjoyed a breakout season in which he totaled career highs in serval categories, including kills, digs and total blocks. The 6-3 outside hitter hammered down 107 kills during his 52 sets played for a 2.06 kills per set average (fourth best on team). Cortez also accumulated 32 digs and 11 total blocks while swinging at a .316 clip.
Ly finished with the team's third-highest kills per set average at 2.29 as he knocked down 110 winners throughout his 48 set played. The second-year outside hitter also collected 78 digs (1.63 digs per set average) and 18 total blocks in 2020 while handing out 10 assists and recording a .254 hitting percentage. Ly was also chosen as the team's representative on the All-Sportsmanship team.
