Bridgewater, NJ — It’s been a career filled with firsts for Saint Francis U Peyton Blain (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin), and even though the dust has settled on his senior campaign, the decorated men’s volleyball libero continues to blaze trails in Loretto.
 
Checking off one box after another throughout his impressive career donning the Red and White, Blain added a tick mark alongside the Northeast Conference’s (NEC) most prestigious individual honor when he was tabbed the 2024 NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year, presented by Provident Bank.
 
Blain was chosen out of a pool of nine male finalists from across the NEC’s core membership for the NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year Award, which weighs one’s leadership ability, athletic prowess, academic achievement and contributions to one’s community.
 
The honor recognizes individual excellence in both the academic and athletic realms as well as leadership and contributions to one’s community.
  
Blain’s honor is the latest in a long list of “firsts” for the senior, who helped lead Saint Francis U to back-to-back NEC men’s volleyball regular season crowns, including the first-ever in the conference’s newest sport in 2023.
 
Behind an impressive 3.96 GPA as a Business/Accounting major, a résumé boasting a plethora of extracurricular activities and recognition as the NEC’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honoree, Blain achieved another Saint Francis U “first” by becoming the institution’s first-ever NEC Team Student Athlete of the Year on the men’s side. 

"Not only has Peyton achieved incredible success in the classroom and excelled for SFU in the Northeast Conference's newest sport, but he has done so while engrossing himself in the campus and local communities," said said NEC Commissioner Noreen Morris. "Peyton has embraced what it means to be a student-athlete and has gone above and beyond that role by using his exceptional leadership skills to make a difference. I’ve had the privilege of seeing his leadership skills at work in his role as the NEC SAAC Co-Chair where his contributions were invaluable. The NEC Male Team Student-Athlete of the Year Award is a tribute to Petyon’s unbelievable commitment and dedication to his academic, athletic and community service efforts."
 
Alongside Saint Francis U softball all-star Rachel Marsden (Erie, PA/McDowell), who was named the NEC Female Team Student-Athlete of the Year, Blain helped put another “first” in the recordbook. They crafted the first-ever institutional sweep of the award since the league began announcing one male team and one female team honoree in 2014-15.
 
“We are absolutely thrilled for Rachel and Peyton to be recognized as the premier male and female team student-athletes by the Northeast Conference,” said Saint Francis U Director of Athletics James Downer. “Their athletic accomplishments this past year obviously warranted consideration but above all, their achievements in the classroom and contributions in the community make them truly remarkable ambassadors to the institution. Rachel and Peyton are beyond deserving of this recognition and as a department, we are immensely proud to have them represent the Red Flash.”
 
Blain’s 3.96 GPA landed him on the NEC Commissioner’s Honor Roll at the conclusion of his first season of competition in the league in 2023. The five-time President’s List member also garnered CSC Academic All-District Team and EIVA All-Academic Team distinction during his undergraduate career. In addition, Blain recently passed the first of four sections of the Certified Public Accounting exam.
 
“Peyton excelled this season as a leader of the team, a role model and someone I will refer to when I tell future players what is expected from them,” commented Saint Francis U head men’s volleyball coach Mike Rumbaugh. “He made his teams better by bringing them in for extra reps, helping them study for business classes and most importantly, holding them accountable when they needed to hear it. Peyton is the ultimate team player.”
 
Blain was a trailblazer on a Saint Francis U squad that struck success in its first two seasons as an NEC program. Pioneering the Red Flash to back-to-back NEC regular-season crowns in 2023 and 2024, he helped his squad to runner-up finishes in the NEC Championships in each of those years as well. With Blain directing the defense, Saint Francis U combined to go 24-2 against conference competition, including a perfect 12-0 run through the league in 2024.
 
"Peyton has made a tremendous impact since he first stepped foot on campus and has been the epitome of what a student-athlete is all about,” said John Krimmel, Saint Francis U Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete & Leadership Development. “He has not only excelled on the court and in the classroom but has made a big impact on campus and in the community. His leadership ability is unmatched, and we were blessed to have him as a part of the Saint Francis University community during his time here. Our University, our Department, his fellow student-athletes, and myself are all better because we have been around Peyton. He is truly the best of the best and deserves this prestigious honor."
 
This past year, Blain led the conference with six First Point/NEC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Leading the circuit with 318 digs and 2.81 digs per set, he was also recognized on the All-NEC second team before he capped off his career by earning a nod on the NEC All-Tournament Team.
 
At season’s end, Blain, who smashed Saint Francis U’s single-season record in digs, ranked sixth in the nation in total digs and third nationally in digs per set.
 
“This award represents the unwavering support that Saint Francis U has given me and the high expectations for myself that the school has instilled in me,” said Blain. “I have worked diligently every day to be the best athlete, teammate and competitor I can be. While achieving a record number of wins and reaching significant individual milestones are highlights of my athletic career, they do not fully define it. My commitment to leadership, both on campus and within the conference, has allowed me to make a meaningful impact over the past four years.”
 
Blain’s leadership on the men’s volleyball team empowered him to be on the forefront of several roles at both the conference and the university levels. During his time in Loretto, he was a three-year member of the NEC’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving as the organization’s Co-Chair and the Finance Chair. Serving on a Saint Francis U task force that was geared towards athlete development, the Keystone State product volunteered at a local church and applied skills he learned during his undergraduate coursework to develop a program aimed towards assigning physician assistant rotations.
 
“Being named NEC Male Student-Athlete of the Year holds tremendous significance for me because it underscores the importance of consistency and passion,” Blain added. “Striving to be the best athlete, student, teammate and leader has always driven me, and this award is a culmination of that dedication.”

 
NEC STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS

2023-24       Peyton Blain, Saint Francis U (male team, volleyball)
              Rachel Marsden, Saint Francis U (female team, softball)
2022-23       Sokol Ymeraj, St. Francis Brooklyn (male team, soccer)   
              Ashley Dana, CCSU (female team, cross country/track and field) 
2021-22       Harald Sollund, St. Francis Brooklyn (male team, soccer)
              Angie Rafter, CCSU (female team, cross country/track and field)
              Mekenzie Saban, Saint Francis U (female team, softball) 
2020-21       Djordje Spasic, St. Francis Brooklyn (male team, swimming and diving)               
              Tiffany Hanna, Wagner (female team, track and field) 
2019-20       Jonathan Besselink, Wagner (male team, cross country/track and field)
              Sara Phelan, Saint Francis U (female team, track and field)
2018-19       Evan McDonald, Fairleigh Dickinson (male team, baseball)
              Pascalle Tego, Wagner (female team, golf)
2017-18       Charlton Boyd, Wagner (male team, tennis)
              Dana Davis, Robert Morris (female team, lacrosse)
2016-17       Kyle Mummau, Bryant (male team, lacrosse)
              Brianna Tredway, Wagner (female team, softball)
2015-16       Max Vogt, Bryant (male team, tennis)
              Amanda Lucia, Wagner (female team, swimming)
2014-15       Phil Faccone, Wagner (male team, football)
              Nicole Sleith, Robert Morris (female team, softball)
2013-14       Meredith Ketchmark, Wagner (swimming)
2012-13       Steve Cioicci, Wagner (football)
2011-12       Julia Prantl, Fairleigh Dickinson (tennis)
2010-11       Katherine Bossardet, CCSU (cross country, track and field)
2009-10       Kundayi Mawema, Bryant (field hockey)
2008-09       Alexandra Tomlinson, Wagner (swimming)
2007-08       Tiffany Hahn, Monmouth (track and field)
2006-07       Erika Jacobs, Saint Francis U (cross country, track and field)
2005-06       Joy Gallagher, Wagner (basketball, softball)
2004-05       Beth Swink, Saint Francis U (basketball)
2003-04       Naomi Campano, Mount St. Mary's (lacrosse)
2002-03       Sabrina Mariani, CCSU (soccer)