Zweifler Headlines Women’s Volleyball’s Six CNE Postseason Honors

BEVERLY, Mass. – After an incredible season that saw 21 wins and 9-1 mark in league action and a 10-game win streak to close the regular season, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team had six players earn Conference of New England postseason honors, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.

Amanda Zweifler was named the Libero of the Year and earned All-CNE First Team honors while Kate McLane and Emma Sanders were also All-CNE First Team selections. Riley Schoonmaker and Olivia Vaughn earn spots on the All-CNE Second Team while Brenda Soares represents the Black & Gold on the All-CNE Community Service Team.  

The postseason awards were voted on by the league's eleven head coaches prior to the start of the postseason tournament.

Zweifler has proved to be one of the top liberos in the conference, earning Libero of the Year after posting 349 digs and 43 service aces across 84 sets. She finished the regular season second in the league with 4.31 digs per set and tied for fourth in the league with 0.53 service aces per set. The senior is a key factor in Wentworth finishing atop the league standings and sitting first in team service aces.

McLane had another impressive season as a major threat in the Leopards' offense and earned her third consecutive all-conference honor. The junior tallied 254 kills, ninth in the league, and sat third in kills per set at 3.53. She hit .254 across 72 sets and totaled 268 points. McLane was a big presence on the defensive side as well, tallying 73 digs and 25 total blocks on the year. She also earned conference player of the week honors earlier this season.

Sanders continues to be one of the league's top hitters and adds yet another postseason accolade to her resume. She earns her third consecutive all-conference first team selection to add to the Player and Rookie of the Year honors from her freshman year. Sanders' 320.5 points ranks fourth in the league while her 269 kills, .291 hitting percentage, and 3.20 kills per set all ranked seventh in the conference. She was also named the conference player of the week twice during the 2025 season.

Schoonmaker has been one of the most lethal hitters in the conference and the country this season. She hit at a .458 clip to lead the league by a sizeable margin and sits third nationally. Schoonmaker has 128 finishes across 72 sets and totaled 157.5 points in the regular season. On the defensive side, the senior led the team with 52 total blocks (10^th in the league) and 45 block assists while adding 18 digs. This is her third career all-conference selection.

Vaughn has been a crucial piece of the Wentworth offense and sits among the best setters in the league. She assisted her teammates 621 times in 71 sets and her 8.75 assists per set ranks second in the conference. Vaughn also tallied 41 services aces, averaging 0.58 aces per set to sit second in the league. She played an important defensively as well, tallying 168 digs and 15 block assists. This is her third consecutive all-conference selection.

Soares represents the Leopards on the community service team as an active member in the community. As a volunteer at her church, Soares helps with Sunday services and other events held throughout the year and assists with translating weekday services given in Portuguese. Last year, Soares helped to organize a project to provide food and warm clothing for people experiencing homelessness in the area. The project was repeated around Christmas and Soares plans to continue the project once again this year. In addition, she helped work on initial drawings for a school in Mozambique, Africa and intends to join a mission trip in the summer to help the community with the project.

Wentworth finished the regular season with a 21-4 overall record and 9-1 mark in league action to earn the top seed in the Conference of New England Postseason Tournament. The Leopards will host a semifinal matchup against Gordon on Thursday night.

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