LORETTO, Pa. –Saint Francis University women's volleyball claimed three major Northeast Conference (NEC) awards in Head Coach Sara McMullen being named NEC Coach of the Year, Madi Tyus (Plano, Texas/Bishop Lynch) was named NEC Player of the Year and Maggie Hogan (Northern Cambria, Pa./Northern Cambria) named Rookie of the Year for the 2021 season, the conference announced on Thursday.

With these three major awards, this is the first time in Saint Francis University women's volleyball program history that a team has received more than one major award in the same season.
 
Additionally, Tyus and Nicole Adams (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa East) have been named to the 2021 NEC First Team All-Conference. While Kimmy Sweeney has been named to the 2021 NEC Second Team All-Conference.
 
The last time that Saint Francis women's volleyball had a player receive an All-Conference award was in 2018, when Tyus was named to the Second Team All-Conference. Additionally, the last time that Red Flash volleyball had three players to earn All-Conference awards was in 1998.
 
Head Coach Sara McMullen has been named the 2021 NEC Coach of the Year. The last time the program saw a Coach of the Year honor was 15 years ago when current men's volleyball Coach, Scott Gleason received the award back in 2006 when he was the Head Coach for women's volleyball at Saint Francis.  McMullen led her team to start conference action 3-0 for the first time since 2006. The Red Flash were picked seventh in the preseason poll. However, that ranking did not slow down Coach McMullen. Instead, she led the Red Flash squad to the 2021 NEC Tournament for the first time in her career and the first time since 2014 for Saint Francis women's volleyball.
 
Tyus has been named NEC Player of the Year and NEC First Team All-Conference for 2021 after her incredible season. Tyus collected her 1,000th kill this season in the team's match against Fairleigh Dickinson University on Oct. 23. Tyus has recorded double digit kills in 24 out of 26 games this season and has recorded a double-double in a total of 10 games on the season. In the team's match at Merrimack this season, the Plano, Texas, native put up a .458 hitting percentage by collecting 14 kills and 10 digs in just three sets. She collected 17 kills, one serving ace and six digs to give her a .424 hitting percentage in the team's victory over Central Connecticut State University to clinch a spot in the NEC Tournament. Additionally, Tyus appeared on NCAA top 20 statistically this season by ranking sixth in points and kills in the week of Oct. 4 and 17 th in total attacks and ninth in points overall during the week of Sept. 30. The outside hitter has competed in 99 sets this season to collect 427 kills, 25 assists, 26 serving aces and 261 digs for 1088 total attacks. Tyus' NEC Player of the Year award marks the first time that Red Flash women's volleyball has seen a player of the year award in 22 years, when Megan Taliaferro received the award in 1999.
 
Hogan has been named the 2021 NEC Rookie of the Year after absolutely dominating in her rookie season. Hogan earned NEC Rookie of the Week on three occasions this season. She falls closely in behind her senior leaders, Tyus and Nicole Adams with 194 kills on the season. The Northern Cambria, Pa. native recorded a single game career high with 17 kills against Sacred Heart University on Nov. 5 and had a .552 hitting percentage in the match. Hogan collected her single game career high of 19 digs against Fairleigh Dickinson University on Oct. 23. The rookie has recorded eight games with double digit kills this season. The outside hitter has competed in 82 sets and posted 558 total attacks overall to lead her to 16 assists, 24 serving aces and 186 digs in her rookie season.
 
Adams has been named to the NEC First Team All-Conference for 2021 after leading the Red Flash squad to its best record in seven years. The right-side hitter has recorded a total of 420 kills, 11 assists, 26 serving aces, 156 digs over 99 sets this season. In the team's tournament clinching victory over Central Connecticut State University, the Clifton Park, N.Y., native put up a .448 hitting percentage after collecting 18 kills and seven digs. Additionally, Adams has posted double digit kills in all but two matches this season. Hogan's Rookie of the Year award marks the first time in 21 years the award has been named to a Saint Francis women's volleyball player when Rebecca Hartman received the achievement back in 2000.
 
Sweeney has been named to the NEC Second Team All-Conference for the 2021 season after an incredible season for the Red Flash setter. Sweeney led Saint Francis women's volleyball in 95 sets this season to post 32 kills, 973 assists, 16 serving aces and 247 digs. The Broadview Heights, Ohio, native recorded her career high in assists this season with 54 in the match against Fairleigh Dickinson. While also collecting a career high of 19 digs against Long Island University.
 
Coach McMullen and her squad will point their attention to the Northeast Conference Tournament as the Red Flash squad is set to take on Bryant University in round one of the tournament at 6:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19.