• 2014 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year
• Second-Team All-Ivy (2014)
• Honorable Mention All-Ivy (2013)
At Cornell
Senior: Rowland was named the 2014 Ivy League Defensive Player Of The Year and was a two-time All-Ivy selection during her career (second-team in 2014; honorable mention in 2013). Established in the 2012 season, Rowland was the first-ever Big Red to be named the Defensive Player of the Year. She also became Cornell's first major Ivy award winner in volleyball since Liz Bishop '06 was named Player of the Year in 2006. A team captain, Rowland had been an integral part of the Big Red defense since her arrival on East Hill. She finished the 2014 season ranked first in the Ivy League, and was sixth in the nation with 5.67 digs per set, a mark that was also good for second place in Cornell history for digs per set in a single season. At the time of her graduation, Rowland held six of the top 20 Cornell records for digs in a single match, including a career-best 38 digs at Dartmouth on Nov. 14, 2014, which was good for fifth overall. She left Cornell holding two of the top four spots in school history for digs in a season, with 506 digs as a junior (third) and 493 digs as a senior (fourth), and ranked third overall in Cornell history in both career digs (1,342) and digs per set (3.94).
Junior (2013): Rowland earned the first All-Ivy selection of her career after finishing her junior campaign ranked second in the conference and 33rd in the nation with 5.06 digs per set. With her 506 digs on the season, she finished 2013 ranked third overall in Cornell history for digs in a single season, a mark that was also good enough for 18th overall in Ivy League history. She posted double-digit digs in all but two matches, including a career-high 36 digs vs. Columbia on Sept. 28, a mark that is seventh best all-time in Cornell history for digs in a match. During the season, Rowland posted five of the top 20 performances in Cornell history, ranking 14th with her 34 digs vs. Rutgers, as well as against Columbia (Oct. 26), 16th with her 33 digs vs. LIU Brooklyn and 18th with her 32 digs against Princeton (Oct. 22). Rowland also handled a team-high 624 service receptions and posted just 31 errors for a reception percentage of .950, the second highest mark on the team among players with at least 200 attempts.
Sophomore (2012): Rowland saw action in 18 matches, playing in 58 sets as one of the team’s defensive specialists. She finished the year with 118 digs (2.03 per set) and added 12 assists and nine service aces. Rowland reached double-digit digs four times with a season-high 13 at Dartmouth on Nov. 2.
Freshman (2011): Rowland was the only rookie to see action in all 26 matches during the 2011 season. She finished the season ranked third on the team with 2.34 digs per set and to go along with 14 assists and seven service aces. Rowland also ranked second on the team with 354 service receptions with just 22 errors for a solid .938 service reception percentage. She tallied double-digit digs in eight matches, including a career-high 14 at Colgate.
Prior to Cornell
Rowland, named a "Defensive Dandy" by MaxPreps.com, was a five-year letter winner at Berkeley Prep. As a senior in 2010, she was named to the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune’s All-Hillsborough county first team. During her senior season, her team was ranked No. 1 in the nation by ESPN Rise for two weeks and also by MaxPreps.com for three weeks. Rowland captained her team to the Florida 3A state championship, earning the Coaches Award as well. She also helped her team to the Florida 3A state title in 2009, finished as state runners-up in 2006 and 2008, and advanced to the state semifinals in 2007. In 2009, she was named to the St. Petersburg Times All-Sun Coast first team and to the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune’s All-Hillsborough county second team. In 2008, she was named as a Tampa Tribune all-county honorable mention. Rowland played her club volleyball with the Tampa Bay Juniors, leading her team in 2010 to the silver medal at the Atlanta Big South 17 Open, and to the bronze medal at both the Colorado Crossroads 17 Open and the AAU Championships 17 Open. In 2009, she helped the club win the gold medal at the Tampa AVCA Holiday Tournament 18s Division, the silver medal at the Northeast Qualifier 16 Open, as well as the bronze medal at the Big South Qualifier 16 Open, also placing eleventh at both the Junior Olympics and AAU’s. In 2008, she helped the team to fourth place at the Big South Qualifier.
Personal
Natasha Esparza Rowland is the daughter of David Rowland and Celeste Esparza and she has one older brother. She is enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
