MONICA AT A GLANCE: NCAA Division III All-Region libero ... Great defender and passer.
SENIOR (2022): Played in 111 sets across 32 matches as the Buccaneers went 28-6 overall and 16-4 in SSC play while reaching the Elite Eight ... Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Commissioner's Honor Roll ... College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® (2022).
JUNIOR (2021): Played in a team-best 91 of 94 sets as the primary libero ... Led the team and fourth in the conference at 4.61 digs per set ... Named to the Second-Team All-SSC ... Led the team with 529 serve receptions at a 93.2 percent ... Added 93 assists and 20 service aces.
CoVID (2020): No participation as the entire season was canceled due to the pandemic.
RED-SHIRT (2019): Attended Barry, but did not compete.
SOPHOMORE (2018 - Manhattanville): Played all 22 matches as the Valiants primary libero ... Second-Team All-MAC Freedom selection ... Was the ECAC Division III Metro Defensive Player of the Month in both September and October ... First on the squad in digs (453), digs per set (5.96) and service aces (34), third in assists (90) and assists per set (1.18) ... Finished the season eighth all-time in Manhattanville program history with 1,034 career digs after just two years ... Ranked fifth in school history in single-season dig totals ... Ranked 13th in all of Division III in digs per set ... Registered double-digit digs in all but one match, at least 20 digs in 12 matches and at least 30 in three matches ... Finished with 32 digs, six assists and two service aces in a 3-1 win over Rutgers-Newark on Sept. 8 ... Registered her only double-double of the season with a career-high 11 assists and 25 digs, while adding three service aces, in a 3-2 win at Wilkes on Sept. 12 ... Totaled a season-best 33 digs in a tough five-set loss to King’s on Sept. 18 ... Compiled 32 digs, two assists and two aces in a four-set loss at Montclair State on Oct. 5 ... Finished with 25 digs, eight assists and three aces in a four-set loss to Dickinson on Oct. 20 ... Earned a spot on the MAC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
FRESHMAN (2017 - Manhattanville): Appeared in all 23 matches and 88 sets as a freshman libero ... Named First-Team All-MAC Freedom ... Honorable mention AVCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region ... Manahattanville Co-Female Rookie of the Year ... Finished the season with a school-record 581 digs, ranking third in Division III by averaging 6.60 digs per set ... Also added 18 kills, 68 assists and a team-best 35 service aces ... Recorded at least 14 digs in every match, including 13 matches of 20-plus digs and eight matches of 31 or more ... Dug out 37 balls in her collegiate debut against Hunter on Sept. 1 ... Added a season-best nine assists to 36 digs in a four-set win over Ramapo on Sept. 9 ... Recorded a season-best 42 digs at Notre Dame on Sept. 16, the most digs by a Valiant in over two decades ... Registered 39 digs, seven assists and a season-best four kills in a five-set win over Wilkes on Sept. 19 ... Also played for the Valiants' golf team.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2017 graduate of Notre Dame High School ... Played volleyball in high school for the Knights under coach Renato Gonzalez ... Named a PRHSAA All-Star and helped the team to multiple Puerto Rico High School Athletic Alliance championships.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Militza Candelas and Luis Lopez ... Father Luis enjoyed an 11-year career in Major League Baseball for several clubs, including the Padres, Mets, Brewers, Orioles and Reds ... Luis currently serves as bench coach for the AA affiliate of the Rockies ... Alex Cora, the manager of the Boston Red Sox, is her godfather ... Has three siblings: Gabriela, Luis and Fernando ... Earned her bachelor's in marketing in the spring and is curently pursuing her master's in marketing.
