SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The American International College women's volleyball team will celebrate its annual Hispanic Heritage Night on Tuesday, October 7 during the team's 6:00 p.m. matchup against Northeast 10 Conference foe Franklin Pierce University.

The event, which occurs annually during National Hispanic Heritage Month, is a celebration of the students of Hispanic heritage, past and present, and their contributions to the AIC community.

"Having the opportunity to have the AIC Hispanic Heritage Night is special because of the opportunity to put our background on display for the community. Not all schools make these nights a priority and AIC does, which makes it such a unique opportunity for the Hispanic student-athletes on our team. It also highlights the numerous Hispanic players that represent our volleyball program. We're excited for this opportunity and to graciously represent the Hispanic community," noted Head Women's Volleyball Coach Eli Irizarry.

The current women's volleyball team features a dozen members with Hispanic heritage, including reigning NE10 Tournament MVP Victoria Soto Burgos, reigning East Region Player of the Year Victoria Mendez, and Springfield native Yuleishka Alvelo Melendez.

As part of the event, AIC Athletic Communications will provide the department's first-ever Spanish-language broadcast of a Yellow Jackets contest, which will be available on FloCollege in addition to the English-language broadcast.

There is significant excitement surrounding the chance to share the game with family, friends, and fans in Spanish.

"Hispanic Heritage Night is really special to me because it's a chance to celebrate our roots and share the pride we have in our culture. Having a Spanish-language broadcast makes the night even more meaningful because it feels like our community is being recognized and embraced in a way that truly matters," Soto Burgos said.

Handling the broadcasting duties for the historic event will be two men's volleyball student-athletes at AIC, Robert Santana and Fabian Lugo. Apart from their volleyball background and fluency in Spanish, it makes the event truly by AIC students for AIC students and their families.

Fans who are interested in watching the broadcast should navigate to the game's landing page on the FloCollege website by clicking here. On match day, options for the English-language and Spanish-language broadcast will appear to be selected from.