PURCHASE, N.Y. – Ahead of tonight's opening round of the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament,
Evan Rapp (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) and
Kyle Simmons (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) of the Manhattanville University men's volleyball team earned the first All-Conference accolades in the program's two-year history. Rapp was named the conference's inaugural Libero of the Year and was named to the All-Conference First Team, while Simmons represents the Valiants on the Second Team.
Rapp was a mainstay on the Skyline's weekly reports, being named the Libero of the Week a conference-high five times over the course of the season. The rookie was one of three Valiants to play in all 30 matches, appearing in 103 of the team's 104 total sets on the year. Rapp earned 249 digs during the regular season, averaging 2.42 per set. The rate ranks third in the conference and 52
nd on a national scale. Rapp reached double digit digs in 12 matches, with a season-high 23 coming on March 29 in a win over Old Westbury. The Bay Shore native also provided 33 assists during the campaign.
Another freshman making an immediate impact in his first season as a Valiant, Simmons served as Manhattanville's leading attacker. The rookie right-side racked up 280 kills, entering the postseason six off the young program's single-season top mark. Simmons averaged 2.98 terminations per frame, ninth best in the Skyline. He delivered a team-best 37 aces at the service line and 41 blocks at the net while digging out 139 balls. Simmons earned one double-double on the season, a 14 kill, 10 dig effort in a March 19 sweep of Saint Joseph's Brooklyn, while posting 10 or more kills in 16 matches. A one-time Skyline Rookie of the Week, Simmons enters the playoffs hot with four-straight outings with double-digit kills, including a season-high 24 against Purchase on March 29.
Rapp, Simmons and the Valiants seek the first postseason victory in program history as No. 4 Manhattanville hosts No. 5 Purchase at 6 p.m. in the Skyline Championship First Round.
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