GABRIELLA KHOLSTININ OF HUDSON VALLEY NAMED TO CAPITAL DISTRICT SPORTS WOMEN OF THE YEAR 2026 CLASS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 22, 2026 - 3:00 PM
CONTACT: Eric McDowell (518-588-8016) – cdswoy@gmail.com

ALBANY, NY – Gabriella Kholstinin, a sophomore at Hudson Valley Community College, has been named as one of the three collegiate award recipients for 2026 by the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization.

Gabriella, who competes in volleyball, will be recognized at the Capital District Sports Women of the Year Awards Gala on Monday, August 3 at 7:00 p.m. at the GE Theatre at Proctors in Schenectady. Tickets will be available online at Proctors.org soon.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization (CDSWOY) honors the best and brightest female student athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes will be recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics, and community service. More information is provided at the website: cdswoy.com.

Academically, Gabriella graduated in December with a 3.83 GPA. She was named to the President's List in all her semesters at HVCC, which included a 4.0 in the fall of 2024. Gabriella was selected as the SUNY Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the fall and was selected to the NJCAA Region 3 All-Academic Team. She was also selected to the NJCAA All-Academic Second Team.

Athletically, Gabriella was a driving factor in turning the Hudson Valley volleyball program into a national contender in her two seasons. The team was 41-10 in her two years, a program best. Last fall, the Vikings were 25-0 in the regular season and 26-2 including competition in the NJCAA National Championships. The squad won its first ever NJCAA Regional 3 Championship and earned its first ever NJCAA National Championships berth, seeded seven out of 12 teams. It was the program's first conference championship since 1995. Gabriella set a career record with 1,249 assists (the only player to reach 1,000) and was the first player in HVCC history to be named an NJCAA All-American when she was selected to the second team. Gabriella was a two-time NJCAA Region 3 First Team honoree and was named the Mountain Valley Conference Co-Player of the Year in her sophomore season, her second all-conference selection.

The HVCC Athletic Department relied on Gabriella when establishing volunteers to assist around the campus and in the local community. She was an active member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, as the group planned several events including a Dig Pink game. Working with her coach, she coordinated the team's attendance at the Capital City Mission to help serve lunches to those in need. Gabriella helped bring her teammates together to decorate the HVCC facility for the annual Pumpkin Palooza, a free family-friendly Halloween event held at HVCC each October.

Gabriella becomes the second Hudson Valley Community College student-athlete selected by CDSWOY. She joins Moira Collins (2025). A total of 10 high school and three college female student-athletes will be honored at the August 3 event. The next recipient will be announced on June 23.