BEVERLY, Mass. (10/13/2026) – The Conference of New England (CNE) announced its weekly award selections on Tuesday, with Nichols College women's volleyball represented by freshman
Sofia Novak, who earned Rookie of the Week honors.
Freshman right-side hitter hailing from Jersey Village, Texas,
Sofia Novak had an outstanding week for the Bison, helping Nichols secure two conference victories with a strong all-around performance. She totaled 21 kills while hitting .194, adding seven service aces and two assists. Defensively, Novak recorded 23 digs, averaging 2.56 digs and 2.33 kills per set. Against Western New England, Novak tallied eight kills, 10 digs, and four service aces to help the Bison earn a four-set victory. She followed up with a career-best performance against Suffolk, recording her first career double-double with a match-high 13 kills while hitting .205 and adding 13 digs and two service aces. Her performance helped Nichols secure a five-set conference victory and complete an undefeated week.
Novak's recognition marks the program's first weekly award since September 18th, 2023, when Liz Diorio earned Libero of the Week honors. It also marks Nichols' first Rookie of the Week selection since
Kya Burdier received the honor on October 25th, 2022.
The Bison return to action on Thursday, October 15th, when they travel to South Hadley, Mass., to face Mount Holyoke College at 6:00 pm at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium.
