Joelle Goldstein Named Empire 8 Volleyball Player of the Year

2016 Dec 16

Ithaca College junior Joelle Goldstein was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year for volleyball. Goldstein is just the second Ithaca player to ever take home the conference's top honor.

Although Ithaca's high level of success this season has largely been achieved by a done-by-committee approach, IC would not be where it's at without the efforts of Goldstein. The Kings Park, N.Y., product has been indispensable for the Bombers this season, leading the team in kills (296) and service aces (43), while she sits second in digs (292). She also paces the squad among pin hitters in blocks, tallying seven solo stuffs and 29 block assists.

Beyond her counting stats, Goldstein has been a key leader for an Ithaca outfit that has had to battle through some tough circumstances this season. It has been a memorable year for the junior hitter nonetheless, as she has marked 11 double-double efforts with 10-plus kills and 10-plus assists. She was named Empire 8 Player of the Week twice during the year, while Goldstein also became a member of the Ithaca's 1,000-career kill club earlier this season. Wednesday's announcement marked the second straight year that Goldstein was named a First-Team selection.