The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) has announced its Athletes of the Week selections in the sports of men's and women's track & field, men's volleyball, baseball, and tennis and women's softball and lacrosse for the period running from April 1-7, 2024.
Men's Volleyball (Offensive): PS-Altoona OH Avery Farabaugh led the Lions' offense in a 3-0 week that included a pair of AMCC wins to help the team clinch a home match in the first round of the upcoming conference postseason tournament. In Wednesday night's 3-0 sweep on the road against Mount Aloysius, he totaled 11 points on seven kills, two service aces, two block assists, and a solo block. Penn State Altoona posted two more sweeps in a home tri-match with AMCC foe Penn State Behrend and non-conference opponent Bethany on Saturday. Against Behrend, Farabaugh finished with 16.5 points on 14 kills, one ace, one solo block, and one block assist. Versus Bethany, he had five points on four kills and one ace while playing just one set. On the week, Farabaugh recorded 32.5 points (4.6 points per set), 25 kills (3.57 kills per set), five total blocks (0.71 blocks per set), and four service aces (0.57 aces per set). He also compiled a .213 attack percentage.
Men's Volleyball (Defensive): Geneva MB Carter Milroy had a strong all-around week for Geneva in three matches last week. Defensively, he finished the week with 14 blocks (1.17 b/s) and 32 digs (2.67 d/s). He was also strong offensively with 42 kills (3.50 k/s) on a .290 hitting percentage, including a career-high 21 kills against Saint Vincent. He finished the week with an impressive 4.4 pts/s.
Softball (Player): PS-Behrend 3B Jocelyn McNany tallied three hits and drove in four runs while scoring three and stealing a pair of bases to help the Lions sweep Mt. Aloysius in the AMCC opener. In game two, she smacked her fourth home run of the season to score three runs.
Softball (Pitcher): PS-Altoona JR Brianna Bone picked up her first win of the season and first NCAA win on Sunday, pitching a complete game shutout to defeat AMCC opponent Alfred State in game two of the Lions' home doubleheader with the Pioneers. She tossed five shutout innings, yielding only two hits and issuing no walks, while striking out three batters.
Baseball (Player): PS-Behrend INF Mac Ciocco finished 10-for-16 in four games for a .625 average with five extra base hits, including four doubles and a triple. He also added five RBI, four runs scored and two stolen bases on the week. On Saturday at Westminster, he recorded two hits and a game-high three runs batted in. In a twinbill at Mount Aloysius, Ciocco went 6-for-9 with two doubles and two RBI.
Baseball (Pitcher): Alfred State SR Chris Mattoon pitched a complete 9.0 inning game, only allowing two unearned runs while scattering five hits. Mattoon came away with seven strikeouts on the day in an 8-2 win over PS-Altoona.
Men's Tennis: PS-Altoona JR Casey Hess had a perfect record in No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Lions last week, helping his team to wins over non-conference opponents Westminster and Waynesburg and against AMCC foe Pitt-Greensburg during Penn State Altoona's homestand. Versus Westminster, he won 6-0, 6-0 in singles and was part of an 8-1 win in doubles. Against Waynesburg, he prevailed 6-3, 6-3 in singles and 8-3 in doubles. Against Pitt-Greensburg, he triumphed 6-0, 6-1 in singles and 8-0 in doubles. On the week, Casey went 3-0 overall in both No. 1 singles and doubles.
Women's Track and Field (Track): Carlow SO Ella Cloak was part of the 4x400 relay team that placed second with a time of 4:46.54, while also securing top-10 times in the 400 and 800, placing second and sixth, respectively as Carlow kicked off the outdoor season placing fourth of five teams at the Bob Lewis Classic, hosted by Frostburg State University Friday.
Women's Track and Field (Field): Carlow SR Christina Smith led the way for the Celtics with a first-place leap of 1.50 meters in high jump. Smith was also part of the 4x400 relay team that placed second with a time of 4:46.54 as Carlow kicked off the outdoor season placing fourth of five teams at the Bob Lewis Classic, hosted by Frostburg State University Friday.
Men's Track and Field (Track): PS-Behrend JR Kody Klein ran a fourth-place time in the 800m with a time of 1:57.71. He was also a member of the 4x4 relay team that tallied third with a time of 3:30.50 at the Dave Labor Invitational.
Men's Track and Field (Field): PS-Behrend SR Dan Dabrowski was the top finisher of the day for Behrend in the field at Slippery Rock, earning first place with a 161-1 distance in the discus throw.
Women's Lacrosse (Offensive): Wells M Hannah Lamont had standout week, nabbing seven goals and two assists in the Express' 17-11 victory over the Redhawks on Saturday. Along with her scoring output, she also secured 15 draw controls, shooting her total on the year to 93, and breaking the single season Wells record for draw controls (78) with at least six games left to play in the 2024 season. Lamont ranks fifth in all of Division III Women's Lacrosse for draw controls per game with 10.33 and has been the central pillar of an Express draw unit that places seventh in DIII for draw controls per game with 18.00. That same Express draw unit also currently holds the #1 draw control win percentage in DIII, sporting a 74.7% draw win rate.
Women's Lacrosse (Defensive): Wells M Mariah Stephens had an excellent defensive performance against La Roche on Saturday as the Express moved to 9-0 and continued their spotless start to the season. Stephens was a disruptor all day, slowing down numerous Redhawk attackers and causing two turnovers. She also scooped up four ground balls and even produced an all-important goal as the Express pulled away for a 17-11 victory.