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Bridgewater, NJ — A red-hot member of a Red Flash squad that shattered the program record with 14 wins in conference play capped off her illustrious career by earning the biggest individual honor on the NEC's women's volleyball stage.
A force to be reckoned with and a menace to opposing back lines all season long, Saint Francis senior
Korrin Burns (Clarion, PA/Clarion Area), whose hot hand blitzed the trail to the Red Flash's highest postseason positioning since 1997, claimed the NEC Player of the Year title. Head coach
Sara Spielvogel, who is amidst her 10th year at the helm of the Red Flash, stood alongside her lethal outside hitter after being pegged the NEC Coach of the Year by her peers.
Providing a one-two punch for a swarming — and storied — LIU squad that finished atop of the NEC standings for the first time since 2018, sophomore libero
Miabella Musignac (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio Adianez) and senior setter
Karly Klaer (St. Joseph, MI/St. Joseph (Chicago State)) were dually rewarded with major awards. Musignac took home NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades while Klaer garnered NEC Setter of the Year distinction.
An FDU squad that is postseason bound for the fourth-straight season was represented on the major awards list by sophomore right-side hitter
Alessia Zampieri (Vicenza, Italy/Liceo Blaise Pascal, Chieri), who was tabbed the NEC Rookie of the Year.
An eight-time NEC/Molten Player of the Week recipient, Burns was the runaway pick as NEC Player of the Year. The Clarion, PA native absolutely torched opposing back lines to the tune of a healthy — and league-best — 5.26 kills per set, while her 2.27 digs per set showcased her versatility and contributions to the Red Flash defense. Repeating as the NEC's statistical leader in kills and points per set in 2025, Burns has reached double digits in kills in 26-of-27 matches on the year and has cracked the 20-kill mark on 15 occasions. In addition, Burns' 542 kills are a whopping 187 more than the next closest competitor in the league and the third-most in NCAA Division I. Speaking of national statistics, the outside hitter made a permanent residency all season in the top five in three more categories: kills per set, points and points per set. The Red Flash standout has recorded 1,297 kills in her four-year career, which ranks fifth in program history. Burns lit it up on the final day of the regular season, turning in the fourth-most efficient performance the nation has seen this year with a .750 attack percentage. Behind her stellar performance, Saint Francis secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NEC Championship. She became the fourth Saint Francis student-athlete to be named NEC Player of the Year, joining Jodi Cruse (1997), Megan Taliaferro (1999) and Madi Tyrus (2019) on the list.
The NEC Defensive Player of the Year award's residency in Brooklyn was extended another year thanks to dominant and consistent play at the libero spot by Musignac. The San Juan native followed in the footsteps of former LIU stars Alasha Colon and Anastasia Scott — a line of liberos who have accounted for each of the past five NEC Defensive Player of the Year honors with two and three apiece, respectively — to keep the award with the Sharks for the sixth time in the seven iterations of the award. LIU's stranglehold on the league's top defensive award goes even further than that, though, as the distinction, which was previously coined the Libero of the Year, landed in Brooklyn seven times during a 12-year stretch from 2007 to 2018. Musignac robbed opponents of countless points with her defensive prowess on the Sharks' back line. Hitting the double-digit mark in digs 23 times, the five-time NEC/Molten Defensive Player of the Week racked up 377 on the year and leads the league with an average of 4.01 per set.
A change in uniform color also came with a position shakeup for Klaer, but that didn't seem to faze the senior in her second season in the NEC. Turning in an All-NEC-worthy campaign for defending league champ Chicago State in 2024, the Great Lakes State native's move from the Windy City to the Big Apple resulted in the former outside hitter becoming LIU's first NEC Setter of the Year since Vera Djuric, a league legend who enjoyed a dominant four-year stretch as the conference's top playmaker from 2011-14. Klaer showcased her versatility as the director of a Sharks' offense that boasted the most efficient hitter in the circuit, as well as one of the conference's most dangerous hitters, this season. She eclipsed the 40-assist mark nine times, contributed to LIU's defensive efforts with 14 double-doubles and dropped 10.54 assists a night to rank second among all NEC setters in conference play for the NEC regular season champs.
The duo of Musignac and Klaer powered LIU to an 18-8 overall record and a nearly unblemished 15-1 ledger in league play, marking the program's most overall wins since 2017 (19) and its best record versus league competitors since stringing together consecutive undefeated seasons in 2012, 2013 and 2014. In addition, they helped lead the Sharks to the NEC playoffs for an unprecedented 23rd consecutive year.
It didn't take long for Zampieri, an Italian-born right-side hitter, to burst onto the scene for FDU. In her collegiate debut, a three-match stretch that featured an Opening Day tilt against then-ranked No. 19 BYU, she combined for 20 kills and eight blocks to take home the first NEC/Molten Rookie of the Week honor. Once the calendar hit October, FDU was rolling, and so was Zampieri. Her consistent scoring and dangerous blocking yielded a 9-1 record for the Knights during that stretch, including seven victories in a row, which led to a clean sweep of that month's four NEC/Molten Rookie of the Week awards. On the season, she put up 189 kills and 63 blocks to help steer her team back to the postseason for the fourth-straight year. The first NEC Rookie of the Year to hail from FDU in a quarter century, Zampieri also earned distinction as the only first-year all-star to land an all-conference spot, taking home second team recognition.
Spielvogel earned top billing among the conference's coaches after guiding Saint Francis to a league-leading 19 overall victories and a 14-2 mark in NEC play en route to the program's fifth-straight postseason appearance. Since the 2021 campaign — a year that saw a seven-year postseason drought end for the Red Flash — her squad has racked up a league-leading 53 wins versus NEC rivals. This season in conference play, Saint Francis' explosive offense led the circuit in assists (13.32 per set), kills (14.37 per set) and service aces (2.55 per set). Spielvogel's recognition from her peers marked her second NEC Coach of the Year award.
AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS
- Twelve of the 14 All-NEC members will be hitting the hardwood on Friday with hopes of leading their respective teams to the NEC Women's Volleyball Tournament title and the league's AQ to the NCAA Division I Championship.
- In capturing the program's league-leading 12th NEC regular season title, LIU featured a conference-best five NEC all-stars, with a whopping four of those standouts garnering first team distinction.
- Klaer, an All-NEC second teamer in 2024, and league newcomer Musignac found company on the first team with a pair of teammates: junior Sara van Gisteren (Leuth, Netherlands/Young Talent Academy, ROC Nijmegan (Indian Hills CC)) and junior middle blocker Yasmeen Muhammad (Shoreline, WA/Lakeside (Pace)).
- Van Gisteren finished the regular season second in the league in kills per set (3.86), while Muhammad's sizzling NEC-leading .440 hitting percentage was tops in the league by a significant margin.
- For the 23rd-straight season, LIU landed at least one first team All-NEC performer.
- Six former All-NEC honorees retained their all-star status in 2025, highlighted by Burns, who emerged from the pack by pulling off an impressive All-NEC First Team three-peat. She also earned spots on the league's top team in 2023 and 2024.
- Three standouts from three different teams upgraded their status from second team to first team in 2025. In addition to LIU's Klaer, FDU senior outside hitter/middle blocker Kylie Nott (Rockwall, TX/Rockwall) and Saint Francis redshirt junior Alexandra Sappia (West Palm Beach, FL/Suncoast Community) made the second-to-first team jump from 2024 to 2025.
- The league's top point distributor with 1,129 assists and 10.96 assists per set, Sappia also made a living and racked up some serious points for the Red Flash from the service line. The Floridian delivered 61 service aces during the regular season to rank fourth among all NCAA Division I players. Sappia is also ranked among the nation's top 10 in service aces per set (0.59 - 7th), assists per set (5th) and total assists (7th).
- Thanks to Burns and Sappia, the Red Flash have landed two first team honorees in three-straight seasons and five times in program history.
- Saint Francis senior Kori McClure (Westerville, OH/Westerville North), a middle blocker, earned her second career All-NEC nod by landing a spot on the second team.
- LIU sophomore outside hitter Bella Correia (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colégio Marista Glória), the 2024 NEC Rookie of the Year, made it an All-NEC second team repeat in her second year in Brooklyn.
- Since ending a 12-year postseason draught in 2022, FDU has boasted nine all-conference honorees, including one first team selection (Nott) and two second team picks in Zampieri and senior libero Kyndal Ganoe (Bardstown, NY/Bardstown (Charleston)) this fall.
- The Knights' three All-NEC honorees tied with the 2023 squad for the most in program history.
- Mercyhurst's historic season continued with the crowning of the program's first-ever All-NEC honoree. Helping the Lakers earn an NEC Championship berth in their first season of postseason eligibility, sophomore right-side hitter Julia Shepherd (Chico, PA/Pleasant Valley (UC Santa Barbara) landed a spot in the recordbook with her selection to the second team.
- The 2025 campaign was also one for the books for Stonehill. Earning the most league wins since joining the conference in 2022 (five), the Skyhawks also produced their first NEC all-star in senior outside hitter Mia Berardino (Rowley, MA/Triton Regional).
- Rounding out the All-NEC honorees was Central Connecticut outside hitter Weronika Pocyznek (Gizycko, Poland/Sports Championship). The senior became the Blue Devils' first All-NEC member since 2022 after she finished third in the league with 3.16 kills per set to pick up second team accolades.
About The Northeast Conference
Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league's official website (
www.necsports.com) and digital network (
www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.
2025 Northeast Conference Women's Volleyball Award Winners
Player of the Year
Korrin Burns Saint Francis OH Sr. Clarion, PA/Clarion Area
Defensive Player of the Year
Miabella Musignac LIU L So. San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio Adianez
Setter of the Year
Karly Klaer LIU S Sr. St. Joseph, MI/St. Joseph (Chicago State)
Rookie of the Year
Alessia Zampieri FDU RS So. Vicenza, Italy/Liceo Blaise Pascal, Chieri
Coach of the Year
Sara Spielvogel Saint Francis 10th Season
2025 Northeast Conference Women's Volleyball First Team All-Conference
Name School Pos Yr Hometown/High School (Previous School)