Garden City, NY – Freshmen Santiago Valenca and Erick Concepcion of the Monroe University men's volleyball team highlighted the major award winners for Region 15. The duo was named First Team All-Region, with Cepeda earning Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Sophomore James Ross was named to the second team, while fellow sophomore Aamar Hanif earned team sportsmanship award.
 
Valenca and Concepcion were dominant on offense all season. Valenca recorded 266 kills on the year, while Concepcion added 135 kills of his own. Both were top-two by a wide margin for the Mustangs. Additionally, both players ranked top-three in service aces, with Valenca leading the way with 32 and Concepcion ranking just behind Ross with 22 set-opening points.
 
Ross operated as a key middle blocker in his first year with Monroe, helping him earn second team status. A do-it-all player, Ross recorded 67 kills, 31 service aces and 33 blocks.
 
Cepeda was the top defender in the region, accumulating an impressive 185 digs at a 2.72 digs per set clip. The New Jersey native appeared in 68 sets as the top libero for the Mustangs.
 
The Mustangs matched Nassau Community College — who claimed the top-seed in the Region 15 tournament — with three first team nods. The two squads are on a collision course, but #2-seed Monroe will have to get past #3-seed Borough of Manhattan Community College first.
 
The Mustangs and Panthers will meet on Saturday at 2:00 pm, with the championship match set for 4:00 pm.
 
Monroe also earned a spot in the 2025 NJCAA Men's Volleyball Invitational in Canandaigua, NY. As the #3-seed in the event, the Mustangs will take on #6-seed Union College on Friday, April 4, at 11:00 am.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as the Monroe University marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeUMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).