Lisboa

Women's Volleyball

Lisboa, Coaching Staff Gain Major Awards To Highlight All-MAC Freedom Selections

Hoboken, N.J. – Junior middle Vivian Lisboa and the Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball coaching staff took home major awards to highlight the All-Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom teams that were announced Monday.

Lisboa was tabbed as the Co-Defensive Player of the Year, while Head Coach Macon Frey and Assistant Coaches Edward Grinberg and Bella Pinton gained Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Senior defensive specialist Bailey Axelrad, graduate student middle Meg Dion, and sophomore setter Molly Harris were named First Team All-MAC Freedom as Lisboa and senior Cleo Shannon gained Second Team laurels.

The Beaumont, California native, who was an All-MAC Freedom Honorable Mention choice last year, racked up 108 blocks and 278 kills while contributing 22 service aces in 120 sets. She led the Ducks in blocks and kills while her 22 aces were fifth on the team. In consecutive matches to open the season, Lisboa notched seven rejections in wins over Keene State and nationally-ranked Ithaca before hitting .400 with 13 kills and six blocks against Montclair State.

Lisboa matched her season-high with 14 kills against Lebanon Valley on October 15 before posting a career-high eight blocks in a three-set victory over DeSales on October 23. In two MAC Freedom Tournament games, the junior had 19 kills against five errors while adding eight blocks. She hit .300 in the Championship Game, posting nine kills and three blocks and delivering a crucial service ace in the fifth to tie the frame at 13. The Ducks have claimed MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Year honors in each of the last five seasons, with Elizabeth Chu (two-time), Axelrad (2022), and Dion (2023) being recognized.

Axelrad becomes a two-time All-MAC Freedom First Team selection after gaining First Team honors in 2022. The senior led the Ducks with 495 digs and was a multi-time MAC Freedom Defensive Player of the Week choice. On August 31, she totaled 34 digs over 10 sets as Stevens topped nationally-ranked Ithaca and Springfield. After picking up 24 digs against Montclair, Axelrad tallied a season-high 29 digs against Virginia Wesleyan.

Dion was second on the club with 92 blocks and was second with 266 kills. She posted 10 kills and six blocks against Ithaca before hitting a blistering .714 (5-0-7) with six rejections against Manhattanville on September 6. In a four-set victory over Wentworth, Dion hit .559 with a career-high 21 kills and tallied 10 kills with no errors in a three-set win over Delaware Valley on November 6. She turned away 13 attempts over the two MAC Freedom Tournament matches, including seven in the Championship Game. Her biggest came with a 13-13 tie in the fifth set against Misericordia, teaming with Shannon to give Stevens a 14-13 lead.

Harris led Stevens with 1,140 assists, the seventh-most in a single season, adding 30 service aces, 243 digs, and 18 blocks. She dished out 44 assists against Ithaca and three consecutive double-doubles against NYU, Muhlenberg, and Wentworth. In a five-set match against Lebanon Valley, Harris established a career-high with 58 assists while tacking on 13 digs. The Conroe, Texas native had three matches with 50+ assists, including 57 with 12 digs in a four-set win over Grinnell on October 25. In the MAC Freedom Championship Game against Misericordia, Harris filled the stat sheet with 20 assists, six digs, and three aces as Stevens claimed their fifth straight title.

Shannon is now a three-time All-MAC Freedom choice, registering Second Team honors in 2022 and First Team laurels in 2023. She was third on the team with 254 kills and added 60 blocks and 55 digs in 112 sets. In the season-opening tournament at Ithaca, Shannon put down 36 kills over three matches, including 16 against Ithaca and 14 against Springfield. She matched her season-best with 16 kills against Kean and registered five blocks with 13 kills against New Paltz on November 9. In. the victory over New Paltz, Shannon tallied her 1000th career kill, becoming the eighth in program history to reach the mark.

The coaching staff, led by Frey, guided Stevens to their fifth consecutive MAC Freedom Championship as they took down Misericordia in five sets Saturday. The Ducks posted a 27-6 record entering the NCAA Tournament and knocked off then-nationally ranked Ithaca in five sets during the opening weekend while also notching several regionally-ranked victories.
 
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Players Mentioned

Bailey Axelrad

#9 Bailey Axelrad

DS/L
5' 2"
Senior
Meg Dion

#10 Meg Dion

MH
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Molly Harris

#17 Molly Harris

S
5' 6"
Sophomore
Vivian Lisboa

#7 Vivian Lisboa

MH
6' 1"
Junior
Cleo Shannon

#19 Cleo Shannon

OPP
6' 0"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Bailey Axelrad

#9 Bailey Axelrad

5' 2"
Senior
DS/L
Meg Dion

#10 Meg Dion

6' 0"
Graduate Student
MH
Molly Harris

#17 Molly Harris

5' 6"
Sophomore
S
Vivian Lisboa

#7 Vivian Lisboa

6' 1"
Junior
MH
Cleo Shannon

#19 Cleo Shannon

6' 0"
Senior
OPP