Four from Volleyball Named 2024 CACC All-Conference; Hernandez and Drollinger Earn Major Awards

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BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Four members of the University of Bridgeport's volleyball team have been selected to CACC All-Conference Teams for the 2024 season, including a pair of major award winners announced by the league on Tuesday.

Paola Hernandez was named the CACC Player of the Year while Jaden Drollinger was tabbed as the Setter of the Year for a second straight season. Lucia Tomiello (first team) and Hailey Jessen (third team) were also recognized by the CACC coaches for outstanding years.  

Hernandez, who was named the ECC's Rookie of the Year in 2021, was even better as a senior in 2024. The native of Puerto Rico led the CACC in kills per set (3.59) while hitting an efficient .220 across more than 1,000 total attempts. She also led the conference in total points won (446.5) and points per set (4.13). In comparison, Hernandez earned 33.5 more points for her team than any other player in the league.

In addition to the offensive numbers, Hernandez eclipsed 250 total digs this season which amounts to 2.41 per set. She finished with a team-high 12 double-doubles, including a 20-kill, 20-dig performance in a win over Jefferson on Oct. 26. Hernandez also tied for second on the team with 38 service aces this year.

Drollinger, who is now a three-time conference Setter of the Year (2021 ECC, 2023 CACC, 2024 CACC), led the CACC in assists per set (10.11) by a wide margin this season. The Arizona native tallied 85 more total assists than any other player while 9.36 served as the second-highest average in the league. Drollinger ripped off more than 50 assists in six matches this fall and had 40 or more in 15 contests. She dished out a career-high 58 helpers in a five-set loss at Dominican in late September.

Drollinger, who is UB's all-time leader in assists with 4,770, impacts the match in many other ways as well. She ranked fourth in the CACC in total aces (57) while racking up 10 double-doubles with a total of 265 digs (2.50/set). Drollinger also chipped in a total of 87 between kills and blocks this season.

Tomiello, who served as UB's most efficient player this fall, made the CACC's All-Conference First Team after ranking third in the league in hitting percentage (.351). That only tells half the story, however, as Tomiello's 606 total attempts are 177 more than either of the players ahead of her in the rankings. The native of Italy hit .400 or better in 10 matches this season and reached double-digit kills in 13 contests. She also tied for second on the team with Hernandez in service aces this season (38).

Defensively, Tomiello led the Purple Knights in both total blocks (48) and solo blocks (20). She tallied season highs in kills (17), digs (6) and solo blocks (3) in a five-set win over Jefferson on Oct. 26.

Jessen, the 2023 CACC Rookie of the Year and All-CACC first-team selection, followed that up with another superb campaign as a sophomore. The Colorado native ranked second on the team in total kills (191), kills per set (3.41) and hitting percentage (.222). Jessen engineered 20 matches where she reached double digits in kills.

In conference matches, Jessen was especially impressive. She raised her kills-per-set average to 3.41 and her hitting percentage to .259 during 16 CACC matchups. Jessen was named the CACC Player of the Week on Monday after hammering 36 kills (4.5/set) during UB's final two wins of the regular season.

The University of Bridgeport's volleyball team returns to action tonight when they host third-seeded Jefferson in the CACC Quarterfinals at 6 p.m.

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