CONCORD, N.H. – NHTI Volleyball sophomore captain Brooke Kelly (Nottingham, N.H.) and first-year setter Esther de Souza Quina (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil) have been named to the 2026 Yankee Small College Conference Volleyball All-Conference First Team, with Kelly also earning YSCC Player of the Year honors.
Kelly earned five of eight first-place votes in the conference's All-Conference voting, finishing with 34 points, 12 ahead of the next-highest vote total. De Souza Quina also earned First Team recognition following a standout first season with the Lynx.
Kelly concluded the regular season with a team-high 174 kills and a conference-best 3.55 kills per set, ranking second in the YSCC in total kills and points (219). Her 3.55 kills per set and 4.47 points per set both ranked second nationally in United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division II.
The sophomore also led the YSCC with 31 total blocks, including a conference-high 24 block assists, while ranking first in the conference with 0.63 blocks per set. Nationally, Kelly ranked eighth in USCAA Division II in both blocks per set and block assists.
Defensively, Kelly led NHTI with 173 digs, ranking fourth in the conference. She also earned two YSCC Player of the Week selections (Weeks 2 and 5), along with USCAA Division II Player of the Week honors for Week 5.
Kelly was the lone two-time recipient of YSCC Volleyball Player of the Week honors during the 2026 regular season.
De Souza Quina made an immediate impact in her first season with NHTI, leading the YSCC with 47 service aces while ranking ninth nationally in USCAA Division II with 0.90 aces per set.
The first-year setter also paced the Lynx with 328 assists, ranking third in the conference, while her 6.31 assists per set ranked fourth. De Souza Quina finished second in the YSCC with 29 total blocks, tied for second with 14 solo blocks, and tied for third with 15 block assists.
De Souza Quina also recorded 155 digs, placing 11th in the conference. Her performances throughout the season earned her both YSCC Player of the Week and USCAA Division II Specialist of the Week honors for Week 3.
Together, Kelly and de Souza Quina helped NHTI establish itself as one of the conference's strongest teams at the net. The Lynx led the YSCC with 65 total blocks, 78 block assists, and 1.25 blocks per set, while also leading the conference with 937 digs and 18.02 digs per set.
Under third-year head coach Toni Bailon (Manchester, N.H.), NHTI finished the regular season with a 12-4 overall record and an 8-4 mark in YSCC play, placing third in the East Division. The Lynx opened the season with eight consecutive victories, matching the 2012 team's 8-0 start for the best opening in the program's available records dating back to 2011.
Kelly, serving as a captain alongside fellow sophomore Brooke Hurlbert (Franklin, N.H.), helped lead a roster composed predominantly of first-year student-athletes. After reaching the YSCC Championship in 2025, Kelly returned for her final season with the Lynx in 2026, earning the conference's highest individual volleyball honor.
The Lynx concluded their 2026 campaign with a 12-5 overall record following their YSCC East Division quarterfinal matchup against Central Maine Community College (Oct. 21).
