Cummins Named Rookie of the Year; Owls Place Four on MASCAC All-Conference Team

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State first-year outside hitter Sydney Cummins (Nicholasville, Ky.) earned the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference's Rookie of the Year, headlining four Owls players that were named to the 2024 MASCAC All-Conference teams as selected by the coaches throughout the league.

Cummins along with senior Julia Bartiet (Cheshire, Conn.) earned spots on the all-conference first team while seniors Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass.) and Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) secured placement on the all-conference second team.

Cummins was named the MASCAC Rookie of the Year after an outstanding rookie campaign as one of the best players in the conference. She finished fourth in the MASCAC with 236 kills and was fifth overall in kills per set at 2.57. She also flashed elite defensive skill in her first season as she led the Owls with 465 receptions with a 95.9% return rate as she only made 20 receiving errors all season. Cummins also posted 238 digs which was second on the team.

For the second straight season, Bartiet earned all-conference first team honors. The senior middle blocker led the MASCAC with a stellar .311 hitting percentage, registering 88 kills. Bartiet tied for sixth in the MASCAC with 51 total blocks and closed the season strong with a seven-kill, four-block effort in the MASCAC Championship game. Across 103 career matches, Bartiet stands fifth all-time in total blocks, logging 182 while also compiling 428 kills.

Also receiving a spot on the MASCAC all-conference team for a second consecutive season is Dangel-Garica. The senior setter totaled the third-most assists in the league this season with 418 and was also fourth in the MASCAC in assists per set at 4.40. She added 29 service aces and 147 digs. Dangel-Garcia concludes her Owls career with 1,958 assists which is fourth in program history.

Bingham received all-conference honors for the first time after a tremendous season at the front of the Owls attack. She led the MASCAC with 90 total blocks, which was 23 blocks higher than the next closest player. She tallied multiple blocks in 21 of 27 matches on the season and closed the year with three or more blocks in six of the final seven games. The senior middle blocker also amounted a .278 hitting percentage which trailed only Bartiet in the entire conference. Bingham also chipped in 144 kills which was fourth on the team. In 107 career matches over four seasons, Bingham piled up 255 total blocks, the third highest total in program history.

Westfield State concluded the 2024 regular season by winning the MASCAC regular season title after a perfect 7-0 league record. The Owls earned the top seed in the conference tournament where they would defeat Worcester State 3-1 in a MASCAC Semifinal game before falling in five sets in the conference championship game against Bridgewater State. The Owls finished the season with 15 wins, tying their highest total since 2015.