Morales Nabs Bears’ First Skyline Rookie of the Week Award
NEW YORK — St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) freshman Cristina Morales (Brooklyn, N.Y./St. Edmund Prep) has garnered the first women's volleyball Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week award in Bears' history after leading the team in kills and digs per set over a four-match week.
Morales' 2.12 kills and 3.06 digs per set topped the team for the four-match week and she nabbed her second career double-double with match-highs of 14 kills and 21 digs in a narrow five-set loss at New Jersey City (Sep. 13).
The Brooklyn native recorded 20 digs once again at Green Mountain (Sep. 16) to go along with eight kills and a career-high three assists in the come-from-behind victory from two sets down. Then, in SJC's sweep of Northern Vermont-Lyndon (Sep. 16), the rookie added six kills at an efficient .412 hitting percentage.
The freshman has had made an immediate impact early in her rookie season as she currently leads the Bears with 59 kills and 2.68 kills per set, as well as ranking third on the squad in digs (66). Morales also represents the Bears among the Skyline's leaders as she enters the week ranked and fifth in points (67), sixth in kills, and ninth in hitting percentage.
It is just the second weekly women's volleyball honor garnered by a Bear since joining the Conference in the 2015 season when Lauren GaNun was named Player of the Week on October 5.
Morales and the Bears will take the court again this Tuesday (Sep. 18) at borough rivals Brooklyn College with first serve set for 7 p.m.