NJCAA Honors Queensborough Tigers for Academic Achievements
Nine outstanding Queensborough Tiger athletes have been awarded National Junior College Athletic Association Honors (NJCAA) for their academic achievements in 2016-17. NJCAA All-Academic Student-Athlete Awards are given for the qualifying grade-point averages: First Team: 4.00 G.P.A.; Second Team: 3.80-3.99 G.P.A.; and Third Team: 3.60-3.79 G.P.A.
The First Team award went to Joelle Desrosiers, Women’s Volleyball. Joelle had to exercise the same self-discipline in her studies as in her intense volleyball practice schedule which typically runs Monday through Friday afternoon, including games on Tuesday and Thursday and often Saturday. Joelle’s court position is middle blocker, leading front row players in team blocking technique and strategy.
Her love for volleyball stems from an eclectic background in ballet, jazz and tap. As a teenager she attended the American Dance and Drama Studio and then Studio E School of Dance, both located in Fresh Meadows, Queens. While a student at Francis Lewis High school, Joelle developed an interest in volleyball and successfully tried-out for the varsity team. Joelle’s mother attended all of her games and encouraged her to pursue the sport.
Jason Demas, Queensborough’s head coach for women’s volleyball, also saw Joelle’s potential and recruited her from Francis Lewis High School and The Bayside Volleyball Club.
“Joelle is a true leader and top player. She was among national leaders in hitting percentage last season. She hit over .400, and volleyball is a lot like baseball, so .280 is exceptional.” Joelle will be the Women’s Volleyball Team’s captain for the upcoming season.
“Coach Demas showed interest in me and reached out. He told me that Queensborough has a great team and that he wanted me to join it. I knew it would be a good fit because I could explore my academic interests and play the sport I love at the same time.”
Jon Hochberg, Student Athletics Director, said, “The Women’s Volleyball team is coming off a historical season. Last year they finished seventh in the country after having won the CUNYAC championship conference and the regional championship, which qualified them for the national tournament—the final 8 teams in the country. We went 27 and 3 which is a record for wins in a season. Joelle was a huge part of that success. She was All-Conference as a freshman, she was a CUNYAC Scholar Athlete, Region XV Academic All Region, and now has been named first team NJCAA. Joelle is a great teammate and she can certainly play great volleyball.”
For the past four years, Joelle has even added Guitar lessons to her list of activities and, once in a while, if she has the chance, will tap dance.
“I love tap. It’s a good match for my personality—loud, rhythmic, and fast-paced foot work, a lot like volleyball!”
Joelle, born and raised in Bayside, enrolled in Queensborough in the fall of 2016. She is majoring in liberal arts with a focus on health sciences.
Additional outstanding Queensborough Tiger athletes who received the NJCAA All-Academic Student-Athlete Awards:
Second Team:
Carmen Clavijo, Women’s Volleyball
Liezl Del Rosario, Women’s Volleyball, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Third Team:
Adriana Albrecht, Women’s Swimming & Diving
Edward Lui, Men’s Basketball
Gariele Emeran, Women’s Indoor Track & Field
Linda Li, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Loukas Filippou, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
Tomas Skukauskas, Men’s Swimming & Diving
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