Plagata, Matzouranis Earn GNAC Weekly Honors

WINTHROP, Mass. – Coming off strong performances during Saturday's tri-match, graduate student Orlando Plagata (Los Angeles, Calif.) has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Defensive Player of the Week, and first-year student-athlete Andrew Matzouranis (North Andover, Mass.) received GNAC Rookie of the Week honors, as announced Monday, Jan. 29, by the league office.

Plagata averaged 4.5 digs per set against Dean Saturday, collecting nine digs in two sets along with a kill, two assists, and one service ace, plus he did not make a reception error in nine chances. Against Eastern Nazarene, he finished with eight digs. For the season, Plagata remains in second place in the GNAC in digs per set at 2.57.

Matzouranis started Saturday's tri-match with three kills and two digs in the second set against Dean, not making an attack error for a .429 hitting percentage. He led the Pride offensively against Eastern Nazarene with 16 kills, hitting .520 in the match, plus he earned five digs and three total blocks.

This is the fourth time in his career Plagata has been named GNAC Defensive Player of the Week, with the three previous honors coming while he was at Colby-Sawyer College. Matzouranis is collecting his first career GNAC Rookie of the Week award.

Regis College (2-2, 2-0) will look to avenge Saturday's loss to Eastern Nazarene when the Pride travel to face the Lions Tuesday, Jan. 30, starting at 7 p.m.