Jovanny Torres, Jeremey Torres, Carlos Mercado Pick Up Honors
CHICOPEE, Mass. – The honors are pouring in for the Elms College men’s volleyball team after the Blazers completed a perfect 4-0 weekend at the SUNY Poly Wildcat Invitational and six consecutive wins overall. Carlos Mercado was recognized as the New England Collegiate Conference Rookie of the Week while Jeremy Torres and Jovanny Torres were selected to the Wildcat Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Mercado racked up 146 assists over the first two weekends of the season – which the opening NECC Rookie of the Week honor encompasses. During that time he averaged 6.35 assists per set while adding 51 digs (2.22 digs per set) and 19 kills, helping the Blazers to a 6-1 record. The freshman recorded a double-double in his first two collegiate matches, finishing with 18 assists and 10 digs against Southern Virginia and 14 assists and 10 digs against Eastern Mennonite. He added a season-high 39 assists in a 3-0 win against Theil on Jan. 26.
Jeremy Torres racked up 58 kills in four matches at the Wildcat Invitational to earn All-Tournament team honors. He averaged 4.46 kills per set and hit .266 for the weekend, leading Elms to an unblemished 4-0 record. He opened the tournament with a season-high 17 kills in a four-set win over Nazareth and added 16 kills, 13 digs, and a .385 hitting percentage in a sweep of Geneva.
Jovanny Torres added 45 kills and 27 digs at the Wildcat Invitational. He opened the tournament with 15 kills and 11 digs against Nazareth and added 13 more kills against SUNY Poly. Torres hit .158 for the tournament and also added five aces.
The Blazers return to action with three matches at Nazareth over the weekend, facing Penn St.-Behrend and Medaille on Feb. 1 and Wells on Feb. 2.