PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three days after capturing the Little East Conference (LEC) Tournament title, three members of the Plymouth State University women's volleyball team earned postseason honors as the league announced its major award winners and all-conference teams on Tuesday.
 
Freshman Sya McKay (Somersworth, N.H.) was named LEC Women's Volleyball Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-LEC First Team. Graduate student Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) also received All-LEC First Team honors, while senior Veronika Castro Rodriguez (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) was named to the LEC Sportsmanship Team.
 
Plymouth State (23-7) secured its first conference title since 2004 after dethroning two-time defending champion UMass Dartmouth in four sets on Saturday, marking the teams' third straight meeting in the championship match.
 
Despite being picked fourth in the LEC Preseason Coaches' Poll after losing 11 players from last year's roster, the Panthers cruised to the No. 3 seed with a 6-2 record in conference play. PSU avenged both regular season losses in the tournament, topping No. 6 Keene State, 3-1, in the first round and sweeping No. 2 UMass Boston in the semifinals.
 
Head coach Joan Forge, who has now led PSU to five championship appearances in eight full seasons, claimed her first conference title with the victory over the Corsairs. Plymouth State will face #15 Ithaca College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at #16 Wesleyan on Thursday (Nov. 20).
 
 
Sya McKay:

• A 6-1 middle hitter, McKay ranked among the league's best in nearly every statistical category: first in total blocks (103) and solo blocks (52); second in blocks per set (0.92) and points (396.5); third in hitting percentage (.292); fourth in points per set (3.54); fifth in kills (280) and block assists (51); and eighth in kills per set (2.50).
• She posted 16 double-digit kill matches and dominated UMass Dartmouth with 25 kills (.388) and five blocks across the two meetings.
• McKay also set program single-match records for solo blocks (9) and total blocks (11) in a 3-1 win at Framingham State.
• This is her first postseason honor.

 
Ella Koelb:

• A 5-10 setter, Koelb did it all in the Panthers' 6-2 offense. She's totaled 496 assists (4.59 per set) while helping PSU hit .193 – the second-highest rate in the conference.
• Offensively, she added 315 kills (2.92 per set), both fourth-most in the LEC, while hitting .211. Her 378.5 points ranked fifth in the league.
• Koelb was named Most Outstanding Player of the LEC Tournament after posting 43 kills (.217), 67 assists (6.09 per set), 25 digs, four blocks and three aces.
• Her seven triple-doubles are tied for the most in the nation.
• This is her first postseason honor.

 
Veronika Castro Rodriguez:

• A 5-6 defensive specialist, Castro Rodriguez was steady all season and exceptional in the postseason. She totaled 66 digs (6.00 per set) during the LEC Tournament, including several momentum-saving plays in the championship match.
• She ranked among the top 15 in the league in digs per set (3.39) while rotating between defensive specialist and libero. Her 376 total digs were second-most on the team.
• She also serves as PSU's most reliable serve receiver, posting a .952 reception percentage on a team-high 481 attempts.
• This is her first postseason honor.