Alex Li Named National Rookie of the Year

Freshman volleyball player Alex Li received the American Volleyball Coaches Association Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-American honor this week in recognition of his stellar performance this season.

Li’s impressive statistics include 343 kills as well as 31 service aces this season.

Li led his team to a record-breaking 18-10 season this year, but it concluded tragically, with the team falling to Juniata College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships last week. Throughout the match, Li delivered 20 kills.

Hockey Wins Nationals and Moves Up

It was a flurry of success for the NYU hockey team in 2017, from a stellar regular season that seldom saw the Violets miss a beat to their promotion to American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division I for next season. It seemed nothing could deter the Violets from greatness — and nothing did. They were crowned Division II national champions in a final tilt against Liberty University.

On top of that, individual successes abounded for the Violets. Junior forward Michael Conslato was named the national tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while Head Coach Chris Cosentino was named the ACHA DII Coach of the Year. The duo of Adam Salisbury and Scott Mulligan were named as first team all-stars in the national tournament. A number of players received All-SECHL and academic honors, and the team as a whole claimed a 2017 Presidential Service Award.

Men’s Swimming Unprecedented Success at NCAA

The Violets placed ninth this year at the NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships last month for the second year in a row.

The team shattered records in the 500-yard freestyle and the 800-yard freestyle during the meet.

Notable performances included sophomore Austin Palmer, who placed sixth in the 1,650-yard freestyle, and the members of the 400-yard freestyle relay, who secured seventh place with a 3:00.89  finish.

Nathan Pike Dubbed NCAA Division III National Champion

Senior Nathan Pike earned first place this year in the Division III National Championships in the 133-pound weight category, winning the first NCAA Wrestling Champion in NYU history.

Last year Pike came close to victory, placing second, but this year he was able to secure an historic first place finish.

Pike and his fellow wrestlers placed 15th out of 68 teams at the NCAA championships, finishing with 30.5 points.

Honore Collins’ Record-Breaking season

Freshman Honore Collins earned first place in the 200m IM at the NCAA Swimming and Diving National Championships last month, obtaining a national title for the first time in the swimming program’s history.

Collins’ victorious 2:00.97 finish time was a personal best as well as an NYU record-breaking time.

Collins assisted her team in earning an exceptional eighth place finish at the national tournament.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, May 1 print edition. Email Nika Woodfill at [email protected].