Men’s Volleyball Leads Country in Digs Per Set

Keuka's men's volleyball team finished the season as the national leader in digs per set. Keuka, which won the NEAC's postseason championship, avergaed 12.16 digs/set (photo courtesy of Jill Nolan, Keuka College Sports Information Department).

The Keuka College men’s volleyball team captured the North Eastern Athletic Conference’s (NEAC) postseason championship in the Storm’s first year as a program.

Keuka, which posted a 12-17 overall record in 2013, earned national recognition by leading all Division III institutions in digs per set.

The Storm recorded 1,277 digs in 105 games, an average of 12.16 digs per set, narrowly edging Stevenson (Md.) University, which averaged 12.06 digs per set in the 2012-13 season.

The Green and Gold featured five student-athletes who averaged at least 1.83 digs per set, led by freshman Connor Hinman (Lethbridge, Alberta/Catholic Central), the MVP of the NEAC’s postseason tournament after recording back-to-back double-doubles.

Hinman, a first-team All-NEAC selection as an outside hitter, compiled 258 digs in 105 sets, an average of 2.46 digs/set. He led the NEAC in digs and was second in digs/set.

The Storm placed five student-athletes in the top eight of the NEAC for digs. After Hinman, Keuka was led by sophomore Manny Fernandez (Tacoma, WA/Spanaway), who recorded 205 digs in 100 sets (2.05 digs/set); freshman Christopher Mooring (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory), who recorded 203 digs in 105 sets (1.93 digs/set); sophomore Ryan Kelly (Clifton Springs, NY/Midlakes), who had 190 digs in 104 sets (1.83 digs/set) and freshman Josh Makin (Lethbridge, Alberta/Catholic Central), who had 177 digs in 93 sets (1.90 digs/set).

Fernandez (third), Mooring (fourth), Kelly (sixth) and Makin (eighth) all placed in the top 10 in the NEAC in digs.

Keuka had 11 matches with 50 or more digs, including a season-most 84 digs during a four-set win over Hilbert College March 27 and 77 digs during a five-set setback to Bard College Feb. 23.