UVC Release

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- For the second consecutive season, the EC men's volleyball program had a trio of players recognized by the United Volleyball Conference (UVC) for their outstanding work in the classroom.

Three seniors, Jeremy Best '19, Ryan McDonough '19 and Colin Morrison '19, represented the Purple and Gold among the conference's brightest student-athletes. Best and McDonough earned the honor for the first time in their careers, while Morrison earned his third honor from the UVC.

In order to be named to the UVC President's List, recipients must earn a 3.75 grade point average or higher during the semester, while participating in the UVC. In addition, the student-athlete must display positive conduct on and off campus and be enrolled full-time at the member institution. A total of 34 student-athletes earned the distinction in 2019.

In addition to the three individual accolades, the Soaring Eagles were one of seven UVC programs to be recognized as an UVC All-Academic Team. In order to earn the distinction, team's needed to record a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher during the spring semester. As a whole, the Purple and Gold recorded a team GPA of 3.19.

Best, a Finance and Economics double-major, wrapped up his career on the court in fine fashion. The Wexford, Pennsylvania, native tallied a whopping 1,102 assists, becoming just the fifth player in program history to break the 1,100-assist mark in a single season. Best added 49 blocks and 20 aces to round out his contributions on the court. For his career, Best will go down as one of the greatest facilitators in EC history. He is second all-time in assists (3,566) and third in assists per set (8.92). He also cemented himself as a force at the net, ending his career ranked fifth in block assists (178) and seventh in total blocks (201).

McDonough, who graduated with degrees in Psychology, Human Services, and a minor in Criminal Justice, was just as impressive on the court as he was in the classroom. In a banner senior season, McDonough ranked fourth in the nation and led the UVC with 403 kills, becoming just the third player to accomplish the feat in program history. The Lindenhurst, New York, native recorded 23 matches with double-digit kills en route to a UVC All-Conference Honorable Mention nod. The pin-hitter ended his career with his name etched into the program record books. McDonough is the all-time leader in aces (175) and ranks third in kills (1,197). He also sits seventh in digs (616) and seventh in total blocks (141).

Morrison, a dual-sport athlete who graduated after majoring in Accounting and Finance, earned his third consecutive academic recognition from the UVC. A defensive-specilaist/libero, Morrison appeared in 29 matches for the Soaring Eagles as a senior. The Carlsbad, California, native posted 61 digs while helping solidify EC's defense and serve receive.