Bourque Tabbed Both Setter and Rookie of the Year; Loussia Named to Fourth Consecutive All-MAAC team.

Freshman setter Ella Bourque was named both the MAAC Rookie of the Year and MAAC Setter of the Year on Wednesday as the league announced its annual volleyball awards.

In addition to her two major awards, Bourque was also an All-MAAC Second Team and All-MAAC Rookie Team honoree. Senior outside hitter Ella Loussia was also named to the All-MAAC Second Team, marking the fourth time in her career that she has garnered All-MAAC recognition.

Bourque becomes the first player in program history to be named Setter of the Year. She also becomes the first Griff to win two MAAC major individual awards and be named to multiple all-conference teams during the same season. Bourque is the first player since Mary Boller in 2003 to win MAAC Rookie of the Year.

A native of Yorkville, Ill., Bourque had a rookie season to remember, garnering a total of nine MAAC Rookie of the Week awards. She totaled 1,001 assists during the regular season, becoming the first freshman in program history to have 1,000-or-more assists in her rookie campaign. Bourque produced nine matches of 40 or more assists and averaged a league-best 9.91 assists per set, while appearing in all 101 sets for the Griffs during the regular season.

Loussia wrote her name in the record book multiple times during her senior campaign, most notably with her 66 service aces, establishing a program record for the most services aces in a single season. Loussia's record-breaking year also tied her with Cassidy Ceriani for sixth all-time for career service aces with 117. The West Bloomfield, Mich., native led Canisus and ranked fifth in the MAAC in kills per set (3.30, recording double-digit kills in 19 matches. She enters the postseason, in ninth place on the program's career attack attempts chart with 2,891.

Six members of the Blue and Gold were also named to the MAAC Volleyball All-Academic team with Loussia, fellow seniors Bree Long, Elle Shult and Camille Vanleer and sophomores Emma Mans and Kara Zaucha all being recognized.

Fourth-seeded Canisius opens the 2022 MAAC Volleyball Championship Thursday when they take on No. 5 seed Siena in quarterfinal-round action at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Buena Vista, Fla. Opening serve is set for 1:30 p.m. with the match streaming on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Bree Long: L; 5' 5"; Senior; High Street Volleyball Club

#2 Ella Loussia: OH; 6' 1"; Senior; Team Detroit Volleyball Club

#18 Emma Mans: MB; 6' 4"; Sophomore; Milwaukee Sting VBC

#3 Elle Shult: MH; 6' 3"; Senior; VC United

#15 Camille Vanleer: MH; 6' 0"; Senior; A5 South

#11 Kara Zaucha: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore; NOVA Juniors

#6 Ella Bourque: S; 5' 11"; Freshman; Sports Performance Volleyball Club

Players Mentioned

#4 Bree Long
: 5' 5"; Senior; High Street Volleyball Club
: L

#2 Ella Loussia
: 6' 1"; Senior; Team Detroit Volleyball Club
: OH

#18 Emma Mans
: 6' 4"; Sophomore; Milwaukee Sting VBC
: MB

#3 Elle Shult
: 6' 3"; Senior; VC United
: MH

#15 Camille Vanleer
: 6' 0"; Senior; A5 South
: MH

#11 Kara Zaucha
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; NOVA Juniors
: OH

#6 Ella Bourque
: 5' 11"; Freshman; Sports Performance Volleyball Club
: S