Altavilla, DiRienzo Named AMCC Preseason Players of the Year; Women’s Basketball Selected First In Coaches’ Poll

ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend women's basketball junior guard Morgan Altavilla (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin) and men's basketball senior guard Tommy DiRienzo (Pittsburgh, PA/Bethel Park) were named 2024-25 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Preseason Players of the Year.

Altavilla was an AMCC First Team All-Conference selection and was also named to the AMCC All-Tournament Team last season. She led Behrend and ranked second in the conference with 18.7 points per game.

The third-year point guard also held the team's best field-goal percentage, shooting 49.0 percent from the floor. Altavilla stood second in the AMCC in three-point field-goal percentage (38.9) and in assists per game (3.9).

The reigning AMCC Champion Behrend women's basketball team was selected to finish first in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. Along with Altavilla, senior guard Rachel Majewski (Erie, PA/Villa Maria Academy) was named a Preseason Player to Watch.

DiRienzo is the reigning AMCC Men's Basketball Player of the Year, while earning National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 7 First Team, Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) First Team, and D3hoops.com All-Region Third Team honors last season. He was also named to the 2024 AMCC All-Tournament Team

The fourth-year guard finished the 2023-24 regular season as the AMCC leader with 468 points and first in the conference in free-throw percentage (83.6), while being second in the conference in points per game (18.7) and fourth in the AMCC in field-goals per game (6.3). After four postseason games, he became the leader in the AMCC in points per game (19.7) and amassed 571 total points. DiRienzo also stood second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and 2.0 assists per game.

As a team, Behrend men's basketball was tabbed to finish as the runner-up in the Preseason Coaches' Poll behind defending champion La Roche. Along with DiRienzo, junior Matthew McDonough (Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) was listed as a Preseason Player to Watch.

AMCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll:

1. Penn State Behrend (2)
2. La Roche (1)
3. Penn State Altoona (3)
4. Mount Aloysius (5)
5. Pitt-Greensburg (4)
6. Carlow (5)
7. Alfred State (8)
8. Hilbert (9)
9. Pitt-Bradford (7)

AMCC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll:

1. La Roche (T1)
2. Penn State Behrend (T1)
3. Pitt-Greensburg (4)
4. Pitt-Bradford (5)
5. Hilbert (7)
6. Penn State Altoona (6)
7. Alfred State (3)
8. Mount Aloysius (8)
9. Carlow (9)

*Number in parenthesis is order of regular season finish in 2023-24