Saint Francis University men's volleyball player Andrew Deardorff (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park) became the second male athlete in Saint Francis history named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year. The Red Flash swept the honors for the second straight year after Olivia Ulam (Canonsburg, Pa./Canonsburg), from the Red Flash softball team, garnered the NEC Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
Deardorff becomes the second Saint Francis men's volleyball player to collect the award, following in the footsteps of former teammate Peyton Blain with his recognition last year.
Since the 2014-15 academic year, when the NEC started recognizing male and female student-athletes, no school had won both honors until Saint Francis took home both honors in the last two campaigns.
"Andrew leads by example more than his words, but his example of his work on the court, in the classroom, and in the community is second to none, and he is a great Saint Francis representative for the Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year," said Saint Francis Director of Athletics Jim Brazill. "He will continue to be successful in the future and will also be a model of what a great student-athlete can be at Saint Francis University."
The criterion for selecting the winner is broken down into four parts: academic achievement (30 percent), athletic excellence (30 percent), service and leadership (30 percent), and a personal statement (10 percent). The selection committee comprises the NEC Commissioner and the Student-Athlete Athletic Committee (SAAC) chairs, athletic directors, faculty athletic Representatives, and Senior Women's Administrators.
"I'm honored to be named the NEC Team Student-Athlete of the Year. It means a lot to be recognized for more than just athletics; Academics and service have played a huge role in my time at Saint Francis," said Deardorff. "This place has truly become a second home to me. I'm incredibly thankful for the coaches who've pushed me to be my best, the professors who've challenged and supported me in the classroom, and all the staff who go above and beyond every day. They've all shaped who I am, and I wouldn't be where I am today without them. I'm proud to represent a school that values hard work, community, and heart."
Academics
Deardorff graduated in May with a degree in accounting and finance. He was on the dean's list for six of the eight semesters and finished with a 3.68 grade point average. He was named to the NEC Academic Honor Roll all three years men's volleyball was a sponsored sport in the league and was a two-time College Sports Communicators All-District team selection.
Athletics Performance
Deardorff finished his standout career as a three-time All-NEC first-team performer and capped his career as the 2025 NEC Player of the Year, an AVCA All-American honorable mention, and earned a spot on the USA Men's Volleyball U23 National Team. The Illinois native led the NEC in service aces (53), service aces per game (0.54) points (452), and kills (384), ranked second in kills per game (3.92) and points per game (4.61), and third in hitting percentage (.315). On the national level, he ranked sixth in NCAA in aces per set (.541), 12th in kills per set, 12th in points per set, and 36th in hitting percentage. Deardorff registered 20 kills in a game seven times in his senior season, including a career-high 26 kills against Lincoln Memorial on February 1 (ninth most in single-season program history), and recorded two double-doubles [19 kills and 10 digs at Daemen (April 11); 22 kills and 10 digs vs LIU (April 18)]. In addition, he was a seven-time First Point/NEC Player of the Week and one-time NEC Defensive Player of the Week.
Deardorff finished his career playing 103 matches with 1,022 kills (seventh in rally-scoring team history), 109 service aces (third in team history), 444 digs, 132 blocks, 63 assists, and 1,204 points. He helped the Red Flash to the first three NEC regular season titles and a trip to the NEC Championship Game each season.
Leadership/Community Service
A team captain on the men's volleyball team, Deardorff has served his community through work at the Vincent de Paul food bank and farm, participation in the Special Olympics, and volunteering at St. Michael Catholic Church's Men's Turkey Dinner, an annual fundraiser that supports hurricane relief in different cities each year.
Full Andrew Deardorff Quote:
"I'm honored to be named the NEC Team Student-Athlete of the Year. It means a lot to be recognized for more than just athletics; Academics and service have played a huge role in my time at Saint Francis," said Deardorff. "This place has truly become a second home to me. I'm incredibly thankful for the coaches who've pushed me to be my best, the professors who've challenged and supported me in the classroom, and all the staff who go above and beyond every day. They've all shaped who I am, and I wouldn't be where I am today without them. I'm proud to represent a school that values hard work, community, and heart. Saint Francis is a special place to me and everyone it touches. There's a real sense of community here, and it's more than just a school; it's a family. The values this university stands for, faith, humility, service, and integrity, are things I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. I'm proud to represent Saint Francis and to be part of something bigger than myself!"
What They Are Saying About Andrew Deardorff:
Noreen Morris, Northeast Conference Commissioner
"Congratulations to Andrew on his selection as the 2025 NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year. The NEC is well represented by extremely talented student-athletes who excel in the classroom, on the athletic stage and in their communities. Andrew is a bright star who rose to the challenge and epitomizes the values of being a Division I college-athlete with all he has accomplished during his stellar career in Loretto."
Mike Rumbaugh, Saint Francis Men's Volleyball Head Coach
"I am so proud of Deardorff. He was a four-year starter for us and stepped up to be the main man this year after we lost Nathan Zini to injury before the season. When Zini went down, his leadership was incredible, and his influence was to have his teammates follow his lead after they watched how much he worked to improve himself and the team. He led us in kills, aces, and points this season and really carried a big load in serve-receive, too. I am so glad that the NEC recognized him with this award."
Saint Francis And The NEC Team Student-Athlete Of The Year
The NEC Student-Athlete of the Year award began in 2002-03. In the first 12 years of the award, the NEC named one student-athlete (11 females, one male). Since 2013-14, a male and a female are honored yearly, but the last two years mark the only two times the same school won both honors in a single year.
With its second selection, Saint Francis becomes the fourth NEC team with multiple male winners. Wagner has four, St. Francis Brooklyn has three, and the Red Flash and Bryant have two.
It also marks the fourth time the same schools have repeated with their winners. In 2015-16 and 2016-17, Wagner had female winners, and Bryant had the male winners. Prior to the current Saint Francis reign, CCSU had the female recipient, and St. Francis Brooklyn had the male recipient in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
