Cielo-Salinas earns GNAC Rookie of the Week honors for the first time, marking the second Lion to receive the honors this season. (PHOTO BY Jim Pierce Photography) |
BOSTON, Mass. (March 24, 2026) – Emerson College sophomore outside hitter Mario Cielo-Salinas has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Rookie of the Week for men's volleyball the Conference office announced.
Cielo-Salinas earns the weekly recognition from the GNAC for the first time and he is the second Emerson men's volleyball student-athlete to receive the recognition after first year setter Ryan Chen collected the honors on February 2. Cielo-Salinas averaged 3.29 kills, 0.43 service aces and 0.29 blocks per set for the Lions in a 1-1 week, scoring a team-high 27.0 points for the week. He also contributed 0.86 digs and chipped in an assist over the two matches.
Cielo-Salinas led Emerson to a 3-1 win over Dean College on Saturday with a team-high 15 kills and .300 hitting percentage with an assist, three service aces, six digs and two block assists to score a team-best 18.5 points. He contributed eight kills at Rivier University on Thursday.
Chen joined Cielo-Salinas in earning weekly honors from the GNAC with a spot on the weekly honor roll. He dished out 8.43 assists per set over the Lions two matches, also contributing 0.14 service aces, 0.57 blocks and 1.00 digs per set over the two matches. Chen engineered the Emerson attack against Dean with 37 assists, adding a kill and ace with four digs and four block assists.
Cielo-Salinas has started all 13 matches played for Emerson in his first season and is averaging 2.22 kills, 0.29 service aces, 1.40 digs and 0.42 blocks per set with 9.30 points per match. He is tied for tenth among GNAC leaders for kills per set and 13th in aces per set.
Emerson (4-10, 1-3 GNAC) is back in action on Thursday when it visits Wentworth Institute of Technology, ranked No. 15 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III coaches poll, for a GNAC matchup at 7 p.m. The Lions return home the following night to host Wheaton College on Friday at 6 p.m.
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