Volleyball Voices

College Volleyball Players Honored Week 12

BUCKNELL VOLLEYBALL’S KAMP NAMED SECOND TEAM ALL-LEAGUE

Junior Ranked Among Patriot League Leaders in Blocks, Hitting Percentage

 

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell volleyball’s Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) was named Second Team All-Patriot League on Tuesday. The middle blocker led the team in total blocks and finished the season ranked fourth in the league in the category.

 

As a junior, Kamp made a name for herself at the net, turning away numerous attack attempts by her opponents. She totaled 83 blocks on the season, giving her the fourth-best average in the Patriot League at .93 blocks per set. That total was helped by a career-best performance at Army last October in which she blocked nine attempts by the Black Knights.

 

In three years, Kamp has amassed 208 block assists, ranking her fifth all-time at Bucknell. The art studio and Spanish major is just 12 shy of taking over the fourth spot, currently held by Sarah Groman with 219.

 

Although best known for her defense, Kamp had a successful season offensively as well. The Oregon native was second on the squad in kills with 213 (2.39/set), giving her more than 200 kills for the third consecutive year. With a hitting percentage of .272, Kamp ranked seventh in the Patriot League at the end of the regular season. Kamp also served 14 aces this year, putting her among the team’s leaders in the category.

 

This is the first All-League selection of Kamp’s career.

 

Bucknell finished the 2009 season 8-18 overall and 4-10 in the Patriot League. The Bison will be back in action in August 2010.

 

Player of the Year: Ariana Mankus, Army, Fr., OH
Setter of the Year: Maureen Bannon, Army, Sr., S
Defensive Player of the Year: Emma Melendez, Lehigh, So., L
Rookie of the Year: Ariana Mankus, Army, Fr., OH
Coach of the Year: Alma Kovaci, Army

First-Team All-League
Ariana Mankus, Army, Fr., OH
Maureen Bannon, Army, Sr., S
Magdalena Tekiel, American, Jr., OH
Claire Recht, American, Sr., MB
Kaylee Dougherty, Colgate, So., MB
Casey Ritt, Colgate, Jr., MB
Angelika Kopacz, Lehigh, So., OH

Second-Team All-League
Amanda Rowell, Army, Jr., MB
Francine Vazquez, Army, Fr., RS
Angelina Waterman, American, Jr., RS
Kaleigh Durket, Colgate, Fr., RS
Heidi Kamp, Bucknell, Jr., MB
Megan Lynch, Holy Cross, Fr., OH
Emma Melendez, Lehigh, So., L

 

www.BucknellBison.com

Ivy League Volleyball Player of the Week Awards

CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Princeton senior Sheena Donohue (Los Gatos, Calif.) had one of the best weekends of her career in leading the Tigers to a sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth with a pair of dominant double-doubles. On Friday night versus the Big Green, Donohue had 26 kills and 17 digs. The next night against the Crimson, she added 25 more kills and 11 digs, while hitting a scorching .386. For the weekend, Donohue averaged 5.7 kills and 3.1 digs per set and hit .345 for the weekend, on her way to scoring 51 total points. 

Yale senior Cat Dailey (Newport Beach, Calif.) recorded her 10th and 11th double-doubles of 2009 this past weekend as the Bulldogs swept a pair of Ivy League foes in the Bulldogs’ final home contests of the season. The reigning Ivy League Player of the Year averaged 4.17 kills with a scorching .489 (25-3-45) hitting percentage in six sets of action against Columbia and Cornell. She was also a force in the back row of the Yale set, piling up 4.17 digs per frame and landing six service aces. In Friday night’s sweep of the Lions, Dailey had a match-best 13 kills (13-2-23, .478) with 11 digs and three aces.  She was dominant once again on Saturday against Big Red, totaling 12 kills (12-1-22, .500) with 13 digs, three more services and a solo block.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Penn freshman right side hitter Lauren Martin (Bedford, Texas) was the Quakers' most efficient hitter this weekend, as Penn clinched the Ivy title outright. Martin hit .380 and had 42 kills (4.67) while also adding seven digs and five total blocks in nine sets. The first year had 22 kill and six digs in a five set loss to Harvard on Friday and then hit .548 with 20 kills and a career high five total blocks in the clinching match over Dartmouth on Saturday.

HONOR ROLL

Brown junior outside hitter Brianna Williamson (Cincinnati, Ohio) was all over the court over the weekend, leading the Bears to a sweep of Cornell and an incredibly close 3-2 loss to Columbia. She was second on the team in both kills and digs, finishing with 24 and 22 respectively, good for averages of 3.00 and 2.75 per set. Williamson also helped bolster Brown's league leading serving game, finishing with a pair of aces in the two matches as Brown picked up its second league win of the season.

Columbia senior captain and libber Ellie Thomas (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) finished her career with a bang, as she notched 21 digs in the last weekend of play, including 14 in a thrilling 3-2 win over Brown. The libero set a new single-season record for digs, with 473 on the year, surpassing her own record of 400, set in 2007. Thomas also set a new career mark for digs, as she graduates the all-time leader in Columbia history, with 1,408 digs to her name. Thomas was a key part of a Columbia squad that recorded one of the best volleyball seasons in recent memories, with the team’s first Ivy League win over Cornell since 2001, the most overall wins since 2001, and the program’s best Ivy League record since 2005.

In a very tight five-set match against Princeton, Dartmouth senior outside hitter Morgan Covington (Katy, Texas) chipped in eight kills while hitting .227. She also had one dig and two blocks. The next night against league-leading Penn she helped her team stay in the match by hitting a team-leading .414 with 12 kills. She also had three digs and two blocks. She closed out her Dartmouth career fourth in total blocks with 225.

Harvard sophomore libber Christine Wu (Naperville, Ill.) led the Crimson on defense over the weekend averaging 5.64 digs per set. She posted 24 digs and four service aces in Harvard’s win over Penn. Her efforts at libero kept the Crimson in the match allowing the Crimson to hand Penn its first conference loss of the season. Against Princeton, Wu posted 27 digs (6.75 per set). Wu leads the Crimson with 5.11 digs and 0.28 service aces per set.

Penn junior libero Madison Wojciechowski (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) was all over the court for the Quakers this weekend. The junior libero had 67 digs (7.44) and also broke her own school record of 511 digs in a season, finishing Saturday with 545 on the year. Against Harvard on Friday she dug 39 balls, one shy of the school record of 40 she set last year. On Saturday versus Dartmouth, she added 28 more to help the Quakers clinch their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2003.

Princeton freshman Lydia Rudnick averaged 3.6 kills and 3.0 digs per set in a sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth and scored 31 total points with a pair of double-doubles over the weekend.

Yale freshman setter Kerry Clavadetscher (Seattle, Wash.) ran a Bulldogs’ offense that hit a solid .293 in home sweeps of Columbia and Cornell this past weekend. Clavadetscher distributed 10.83 assists per frame and chipped in defensively with 1.67 digs and 1.00 blocks per set. On Friday against the Lions, Clavadetscher doled out a match-best 36 assists, while adding a pair of kills and three asssts to her statline. In Saturday’s sweep of Big Red, she had a match-high 29 assists before handing the setting reigns over to junior Kate Parker midway through the third set. Clavadetscher also contributed three digs, three kills and three blocks to the Bulldogs’ victory over Cornell.

Brown freshman Katrina Post (Pasadena, Calif.) continued her season-long ascent, recording perhaps her best weekend yet, and leading the Bears to a sweep over Cornell and nearly pulling the upset in a 3-2 loss to Columbia.  Post led the team with 27 kills, averaging 3.38 per set, and added 10 digs and an ace.  She was particularly dangerous against Columbia, finishing the match with 16 kills and seven digs, pushing the Lions to extra points in the fifth set.

Harvard freshman Taylor Docter (Los Altos, Calif.) recorded 13 kills and a career-high seven blocks in the Crimson's 3-2 win over Penn. She hit .208 on the night with two solo blocks. Docter added nine kills and three blocks in a 3-1 loss to Princeton. She is third on the team in kills with 2.46 per set. 

Week 12: College Volleyball Players Of The Week from the CAA, Atlantic-10, MAC, SBC, NEC, Big-12, Ivy and Patriot League

NCAA Volleyball: MANEJA EARNS CAA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS

Hempstead, NY - Freshman libero Kylee Maneja (Kapolei, HI/Sacred Hearts Academy) was named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week today, it was announced by the conference office.  

The award is the second of the season for Maneja, who previously was named the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week on September 28.

Maneja had an exceptional week as she led Hofstra with 51 digs in the Pride's two matches, for an average of 5.67 per set.  After leading Hofstra with 18 kills in their four-set win over Towson, Maneja stepped up he play against Delaware as she picked up a match and career-high 33 digs in the five-set loss to the co-regular season champions of the CAA.  The 33 digs were the most by a Pride player this season and Maneja ended up leading Hofstra this season with 459 digs.  She also contributed 23 assists and eight service aces this year.

Hofstra finished the 2009 campaign with a record of 13-19 and a CAA mark of 7-7.

 

Redshirt Freshman Rachel Kracher Named Co-Rookie of the Week

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – University of Dayton outside hitter Rachel Krabacher has been named Atlantic 10 Co-Rookie of the Week. 

The redshirt freshman Rachel from Cincinnati averaged 3.14 kills per set and 3.43 digs per set for the Red and Blue in her last two matches. Against George Washington she led the Flyers with 13 kills and posted a double-double adding 12 digs. Against Wright State she added a pair of service aces to her nine kills on the night. She posted five block assists for the week.

It is the third time since coming back from a broken foot that Krabacher has received Rookie of the Week Honor. Krabacher was sidelined from play from Sept. 4 until she made her return against Duquesne on Oct. 16. She immediately made an impact that weekend, leading Dayton to a five-set win over then-No. 20 Saint Louis at the Frericks Center.

The Flyers finished up Atlantic 10 play over the weekend and are riding a perfect 11-0 record heading into Atlantic 10 Tournament in which they host at the Frericks Center. Dayton earned a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season championship with rival Saint Louis. UD has a bye in the opening round and will face the lowest remaining seed in a 7:30 semifinal match on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Ball State's Kelsey Brandl Named MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week

  MUNCIE, Ind. - - After helping the Cardinals secure the No. 8 seed and hosting rights in the first round of the 2009 Mid-American Conference Tournament, Ball State sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North H.S.) has been named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week.

 

   Brandl also earned MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 26. She is the only West Division player to earn the honor twice this season.

 

  "Kelsey was the catalyst in our two victories last week," said Ball State head coach Dave Boos. "On offense, she shined with a .529 attack percentage and led the team in kills both nights. On defense, she was a major presence at the net logging 1.38 blocks per game to help shut down our opponent's attackers. Kelsey is playing at a very high level right now, and our team is feeding off of her."

 

  In last Thursday's win over Toledo, Brandl smashed a match-high 14 kills while hitting .522 (14-2-23). In addition, she paced all players with six total blocks.

 

  In Saturday's thrilling five-set win at Akron, Brandl blasted a team-best 16 kills while hitting for an impressive .536 (16-1-28) rate of success. She also added a match-best five blocks versus the Zips.

 

  For the week, Brandl averaged team-highs of 3.75 kills and 1.38 blocks per set. She also finished the week hitting .529 (30-3-51), which was more than double the team's average of .252 for the two matches.

 

  Entering Tuesday's MAC Tournament showdown with Akron, Brandl ranks second in the conference with a .366 attacking percentage in league-only matches. Her 3.65 points per set in league play has her ranked ninth in the MAC, with her being the only middle blocker on the list.

 

  The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action tomorrow, when it hosts Akron in the first round of the 2009 Mid-American Conference Tournament. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at Worthen Arena.

Temple's Zhang and Pierre Earn Atlantic 10 Volleyball Weekly Honors
Duo take two of three awards for the second time this season

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – For the second time this season, Temple volleyball senior Yun Yi Zhang and junior Ariel Pierre swept two of the three Atlantic 10 weekly awards, as Zhang earned the title of A-10 Offensive Player of the Week Pierre was named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week. The award is Zhang's third of the season and Pierre's second.

Zhang averaged 6.38 kills per set in leading Temple to a 1-1 week, as the Owls took a 3-1 win at Charlotte and dropped a hard-fought, 3-1 match to #20 Saint Louis. She knocked down 28 kills in the come-from-behind win at Charlotte, also tallying six blocks and four digs. Zhang led all players with 23 kills against Saint Louis, notching a double-double with 12 digs.

The match against the Billikens was the final home match of Zhang’s career. She and Jackie Morrison were honored prior to the start as part of Senior Night.

Pierre averaged 6.25 digs per set, putting up impressive defensive numbers in both matches for Temple. She tallied a match and season-high 27 digs in four sets at Charlotte, and recorded a match-high 23 digs vs. Saint Louis, also tallying one ace and two assists. Pierre leads the team this season with 280 digs (3.11 digs per set).

The Owls are gearing up for A-10 Tournament play, and will face George Washington at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20. Temple is the fourth seed of six teams, while GW is the fifth seed. The entire tournament is being held at the University of Dayton, who earned the regular season title for the second straight year

Arkansas State Women's Volleyball Libero Heather Bowman 

Wins Fifth SBC Defensive Player of the Week Award

JONESBORO, Ark. (11/16/09) – Arkansas State senior libero Heather
Bowman closed out her final regular season at Arkansas State as the
Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week, according to a vote
of the league’s 13 head coaches.  This is Bowman’s fifth weekly award
of the season.

Bowman, who currently ranks sixth in the nation with 5.68 digs per
set, led the Red Wolves as they went 2-0 in their final two regular
season matches and claimed the SBC West Division Co-championship.

Bowman finished her final weekend at home with 57 digs, averaging 6.33
digs per set.   She put in 29 digs and a service ace in ASU’s 3-1 win
over North Texas Friday night, and she added another 28 digs and an
assist when ASU took down Denver in five sets Saturday night.

The Fort Smith native’s 57 digs pushed her into second place on the
ASU single-season digs chart with 676 on the year.  She currently
leads the team in digs and is one of three Red Wolves topping the team
with 32 service aces on the year.

Bowman and the Red Wolves enter the SBC Tournament seeded fifth and up
against fourth-seeded New Orleans in the opening round.  ASU will meet
UNO Thursday, Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m. on the campus of tournament-host
Western Kentucky.

All games will be available for webstream on SBC Extra and fans can
purchase a tournament pass for only $9.95 to tune-in. The championship
match at 3 p.m. (CT) will also be broadcast by the Sun Belt Network.
The championship match will air November 22 at 5 p.m. (CT) on CSS and
November 23 on CST at 6 p.m. (CT).

Hannah Veith Named NEC Volleyball Player of the Week
 This marks Veith’s first NEC honor of the season


Moon Township, Pa. - November 16, 2009 – After the final week of
regular-season play, Robert Morris University sophomore middle blocker
Hannah Veith (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington) was named NEC Player of the
Week for the first time this season. She earned the award after leading
the Colonials to back-to-back wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred
Heart.

Veith was the only Colonial to capture double-digit digs in both wins,
earning 13 in each contest. Against Fairleigh Dickinson, she was second
on the team with 13 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and also added
three blocks in the win. She followed that impressive performance in
RMU’s 3-1 win against Sacred Heart by leading the squad with 13 kills
on a .417 hitting percentage and finishing with six blocks. In total
over the weekend, she tied for first on the team with 26 kills and was
second on the team in hitting percentage with a .452 average and nine
blocks. She is currently tied for second on the team with 230 kills and
is second with a .329 hitting percentage and 91 blocks.

The Colonials head to Long Island this weekend to compete in the NEC
Tournament as the No. 4 seed. They will face No. 1 Long Island on
Saturday, Nov. 21 at 12:00 p.m

Eight Jayhawks Named to Academic All-Big 12 Volleyball Team

 

IRVING, Texas—Eight Kansas volleyball players were named to the 52-person Academic All-Big 12 Volleyball Team, the league office announced. Among those honored, KU’s Katie Martincich was one of two student-athletes nominated with a 4.00 grade point average.

 

Kansas and Oklahoma led the league with eight selections each. 

 

In addition to Martincich, seniors Melissa Grieb and Paige Mazour, juniors Karina Garlington and Melissa Manda and sophomores Lauren Hagan and Allison Mayfield were all named to the first team. Sophomore Nicole Tate was a second team selection.

 

Martincich and Grieb are each making their third consecutive appearance on the Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Mazour, Garlington and Manda are also repeat honorees earning the accolade for the second time in their careers, while Hagan, Mayfield and Tate earned the award in their first season of eligibility for the academic team.

Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the volleyball academic all-league squad consisted of 43 first team members combined with nine on the second team.  First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.

 

-Go Jayhawks!-

 

Cat Dailey Named Ivy League Volleyball Player of the Week

Senior Claims Honor for Second Week in 2009

 

 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — For the second week this season, senior Cat Dailey of the Yale volleyball team has been recognized by the Ivy League as its Player of the Week. Dailey averaged 4.17 kills with a scorching .489 (25-3-45) hitting percentage in six sets of action this past weekend as the Bulldogs swept Ivy League foes Columbia and Cornell. She was also a force in the back row of the Yale set, piling up 4.17 digs per frame and landing six service aces en route to earning her 10th and 11th double-doubles of the season.

 

On Friday against the Lions, Dailey had a match-best 13 kills (13-2-23, .478) with 11 digs and three aces. She was dominant once again on Saturday against Big Red, totaling 12 kills (12-1-22, .500) with 13 digs, three more service aces and a solo block to end the second set. She shares the Player of the Week honor this week with Princeton senior Sheena Donohue.

 

The reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, Dailey was also nationally recognized this week as a CVU.com (College Volleyball Update) Top Performer, a distinction handed out to fewer than 15 players throughout Division I each week. She was also honored by CVU.com when she claimed Ivy League Player of the Week laurels on Sept. 8. Dailey is the only Ancient Eight player to land on the weekly CVU.com list in 2009.

 

On the season, Dailey leads the Ivy League in kills (4.03 per set) and service aces (0.38 per set). She is also in the league-wide top 10 in hitting percentage (.277) and digs (3.35 per set). In addition to being the unanimous Ivy League Player of the Year, Dailey was an All-Ivy first team selection in 2008 and was recently selected to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team.

 

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HOLY CROSS’ MEGAN LYNCH EARNS PATRIOT LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL ALL-LEAGUE HONORS

Lynch becomes first Crusader freshman to receive this honor

 

November 17, 2009

 

WORCESTER, Mass. – Holy Cross freshman volleyball player Megan Lynch (Mendham, N.J.) has earned 2009 second team All-Patriot League accolades. This is the first time that a Crusader freshman volleyball player has received All-Patriot League honors.

 

Lynch had an outstanding season as she recorded 371 kills which are the second most at Holy Cross for a single-season and the most ever by a Crusader freshman. She was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Week twice as she became only the second Crusader to earn that award. She recorded seven double-doubles and posted double-digit kills 20 times. She also either led the team or tied for the team-lead for kills 25 out of 29 matches. Lynch finished the season ranked second around the Patriot League with her 371 kills and 3.53 kills per set. She was also impressive defensively as her 233 digs and 2.22 digs per set were second on the team.

 

The Crusaders concluded the 2009 season with a 5-24 overall record (3-11 Patriot League).

 

For all the latest updates on the Holy Cross volleyball team or any other of the school's 26 varsity sports, log on to www.GoHolyCross.com.

Week 12: Mid-American Conference College Volleyball Players Of The Week Championship Tournament News

This Week In the MAC...

November 17, 2009 - First Round - Campus Sites
Match 1- No. 12 Eastern Michigan at No. 5 Central Michigan, 7 p.m.
Match 2 - No. 11 Bowling Green at No. 6 Toledo, 7 p.m.
Match 3 - No. 10 Buffalo at No. 7 Kent State, 7 p.m.
Match 4 - No. 9 Akron at No. 8 Ball State, 7 p.m.

November 20, 2009 - Quarterfinals - SeaGate Centre, Toledo, Ohio
Match 5 - No. 4 Northern Illinois vs. 5/12 Winner, 11 a.m.
Match 6 - No. 3 Miami vs. 6/11 Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Match 7 - No. 1 Ohio vs. 8/9 Winner, 4:30 p.m.
Match 8 - No. 2 Western Michigan vs. 7/10 Winner, 7 p.m.

November 21, 2009 - Semi Finals - SeaGate Centre, Toledo, Ohio
Match 9 - Match 7 Winner vs. Match 5 Winner, 4:30 p.m.
Match 10 - Match 8 Winner vs. Match 6 Winner, 7 p.m.

November 22, 2009 - Championship - SeaGate Centre, Toledo, Ohio
Match 11 - Match 9 Winner vs. Match 10 Winner, 3 p.m.

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Players of the Week...
West Division Offensive Player of the Week
Kelsey Brandl, Ball State, So., MB, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North
Kelsey Brandl turned in a solid all-around effort last weekend to help the Cardinals secure the No. 8 seed and hosting rights in the 2009 Mid-American Conference Tournament. In last Thursday's win over Toledo, Brandl smashed a match-high 14 kills while hitting a match-best .522 (14-2-23). In addition, she paced all players with a six total blocks in the win over the Rockets. In Saturday's thrilling five-set win at Akron, Brandl blasted a team-best 16 kills while hitting for an impressive .536 (16-1-28) rate of success. She also added a match-best five blocks in the victory. For the week, Brandl averaged a team-best 3.75 kills-per-set average, while posting a team-high 1.38 blocks per set. She also finished the week hitting a team-high .529 (30-3-51), which was more than double the team's average of .252 for the week.

East Division Offensive Player of the Week
Michelle Jantsch, Ohio, Jr., Setter, Mission Hills, Ks./St. Teresa Academy
Jantsch recorded nine kills on 17 swings for a .529 hitting percentage, while recording an impressive 12.0 assists per set. She also had one ace, two digs and five total blocks for a well-rounded performance.

West Division Defensive Player of the Week
Caitlin Strimel, Western Michigan, Sr., Libero, Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley
Caitlin Strimel led the WMU defense with 6.00 digs per set that helped hold CMU and EMU to .165 hitting in a pair of five-set victories on the road over the weekend. Strimel was nearly flawless on serve receive with only one error in 38 reception attempts (.974). Strimel started the weekend with 27 digs at CMU as the Chippewas hit just .128. She followed with a match-high 33 digs at EMU to hold the Eagles to .201 hitting in the victory. With her 60 digs, Strimel increased her MAC record to 2,493 digs, the fifth-highest total in NCAA history.

East Division Defensive Player of the Week
Jenny Keck, Kent State, Sr., Setter, Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran
It was as if senior Jenny Keck was bound and determined to record her first triple-double in the final regular season weekend of her collegiate career. After nearly accomplishing the feat with 37 assists, 10 kills and seven digs against Bowling Green, she tallied a triple-double in Kent State's upset of Miami on the RedHawks home court (in straight sets, no less). Against MU, Keck had 41 assists (13.67 per set), 13 digs (4.33 per set) and a team-high 10 blocks (3.33 per set). In the game-clinching third set, Keck contribute eight assists, two kills on three attempts, four digs and four blocks. In Kent State's marathon 31-29 in the first set, she had 20 assists, three digs, three blocks and a kill. Known for running the Kent State offense, Keck contributed greatly to the Kent State defense this week. To go along with her 78 assists and 13 kills, she was third on the week in team digs with 20 (2.5 per set) and second on the team with 12 total blocks (1.5 per set).

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MAC News and Notes...

• For the second consecutive season, the Zips finished the regular-season 5-11 in conference play. Overall, Akron posted 14 wins during the 2009 season, the most wins the program has had since the 2003 season. Splitting the final weekend of league play, Akron freshman Chelsea Harvey put her stamp on the conference in the regular-season finale finishing with 34 digs in UA's five-set loss to Ball State. Totaling 53 digs on the weekend averaging 6.62 over eight sets, Harvey finished ninth overall in the league averaging 4.07 digs. The mark makes Harvey the only freshman to finish in the top-10 in the league.

• After topping Eastern Michigan and falling to Ohio in the 2009 Mid-American Confernece Tournament, Ball State is a combined 27-14 (.658) all-time in MAC Tournament matches . . . Both BSU's 27 wins and 41 matches played are league records . . . Overall, Ball State is 3-1 in first round matches, 9-2 in quarterfinal matches, 9-8 in semifinal matches and 6-3 in championship matches . . . Ball State has more tournament wins (27) than eight other MAC schools have matches played . . . Miami (34), Western Michigan (33) and Bowling Green (29) are the only schools to play in more tournament matches than BSU has wins. AT HOME IN THE TOURNAMENT: Including a 3-0 first round sweep of Eastern Michigan last season, Ball State is 16-1 all-time in MAC Tournament matches played in Worthen Arena, with its only loss coming in the 2003 semifinals versus eventual tournament champion Ohio . . . BSU has never lost a tournament-opening match at Worthen Arena, going 3-0 in first round matches, 6-0 in quarterfinal play and 1-0 in semifinal action . . . BSU claimed three MAC Tournament titles on the Worthen Arena hardwood floor (1994, 1999 and 2002), before the final three rounds were moved to a neutral site for the 2005 event.

• Bowling Green finished the regular season by splitting the weekend MAC series for the fifth consecutive week ... The Falcons beat Kent State in five hard-fought sets before losing to Ohio ... The win over Kent State was Head Coach Denise Van De Walle's 499th of her career ... Bowling Green will enter the MAC Tournament as the No. 11 seed after finishing the year 12-19 overall and 5-11 in league play ... Kaitlin Jackson had a career-high 24 kills and added 11 digs as BGSU edged Kent State in five sets ... In fact, the Falcons had two players with at least 20 kills and 10 digs as Corey Domek added 23 kills and 13 digs ... Libero Alex Zlabis entered the 30-dig club for the first time in her career, picking up 33 in the win over Kent State.

• The Bulls finished the regular season with 15 wins, their most in school history since joining the MAC. Their five MAC wins tie a record. Freshman Tori Beckman became the first UB freshman to record 500 digs in a season. Lindsey Schlegel also went over 1,000 assists for the first time in her career.

• Central Michigan will host Eastern Michigan in the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Tuesday. CMU earned a first round bye in 2008 and beat Toledo at Rose Center in the opening round of the 2007 Tournament. The Chippewas and Eagles split the season series, 1-1, with each team winning on their home floor.

• For only the second time in eight years, the Eastern Michi gan University volleyball team opens the Mid-American Conference Tournament on the road. The Eagles will travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich., Tuesday, Nov. 17, to square off with the Chippewas of Central Michigan University in a first round match up at the Rose Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Eastern Michigan enters the tournament as the No. 12-seed while the Chippewas are the No. 5-seed. Eastern Michigan's volleyball program has appeared in 10 of the last 11 postseason MAC tournaments under the leadership of head coach Kim Berrington. The Green and White sport a 9-13 all-time record in MAC Tournament play, including two championship game appearances during the 1988 and 1990 campaigns. Last season, the Eagles were ousted in the first round by Ball State University, 3-0, Nov. 18, 2008.

• Senior setter Jenny Keck, contributed in big ways for Kent State in both matches this past weekend. Against Bowling Green on Thursday night, she nearly missed a triple-double with 37 assists, 10 kills and seven digs. However, she would get her triple-double in her final regular season match of her Kent State career in the teams-straight set winner over Miami (41 assists, 13 digs and 10 blocks). Senior Arjola Prenga completed her 17th double-double in 24 matches this season with 17 kills and 11 digs against Bowling Green and 19 kills and 11 digs against Miami. Kent State out-blocked its opponents 22.5-9 this week, including 14-5 in only three sets against Miami. Besides Keck, Sabo added eight blocks to finish the weekend with 13 (1.62 per set).

• The RedHawks had a tough week dropping both matches 0-3. However the matches were much closer than the scores would indicate as they led for significant portions of five of the six sets played, including all three sets against Mid-American Conference Champion Ohio. Miami will be the three seed in the upcoming conference tournament for the third consecutive year. Two years ago they won the event and they advanced to the semifinals last season.

• The Huskies split on the road over weekend to end the regular season, sweeping Eastern Michigan and getting swept by Central Michigan, as NIU fell back into a three-way tie with CMU and Toledo for the fourth spot in the MAC Tournament, but NIU won the tiebreaker to earn a first round bye and faces the winner of No. 5 CMU vs. No. 12 EMU match on Friday at 10 a.m. (CDT) ... The last time the Huskies earned a first round bye in the conference tournament was in 2006, when the Huskies won the regular season West Division championship ... Meagan Schoenrock led the Huskies with 30 kills (5.00/set) over the week ... Maddie Hughes led the NIU defense with 42 digs (7.00/set).

• The Bobcats clinched the regular season title last weekend and will be the top seed in the MAC Tournament. Ohio has won five of the past six MAC Tournaments, gaining the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. --Under head coach Ryan Theis, the Bobcats are 42-3 when hitting .200 or better, and 34-4 when holding opponents under the .200 mark. --The Bobcats have amassed a conference record of 104-6 (.945) since the start of the 2003 season, including three perfect 16-0 seasons.

• Toledo (17-11, 8-8 MAC) looks to build on one of the best seasons in its 30-year program history when it opens the 2009 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Tuesday, Nov. 17 with a home match against Bowling Green (12-19, 5-11 MAC). The Rockets have posted a 9-2 win-loss mark in Savage Arena and its .818 home winning percentage is the best in school history. In addition, the Rockets' overall winning percentage (.607) equals the second-best record in school annals behind a 27-16 (.628) ledger posted in 1983. The Rockets finished tied for second place in the West Division for their highest finish since the conference went to divisional play in 1997. UT's previous best showing was fourth place on three different occasions. Toledo's 8-8 MAC win-loss mark is just the fifth time it has posted a .500 record or better. Toledo is 7-2 in five-set matches this season. Six of UT's 16 MAC contests went the distance with the Rockets posting wins in five of them. Toledo is hosting a first-round MAC Tournament contest for the second straight season and third time ever. The Rockets posted a 3-1 win over Akron as the No. 8 seed last year and rolled to a 3-0 sweep over CMU as the No. 5 seed in 2005.

• The Broncos received strong play from their bench to defeat Central Michigan after losing the first two sets. Junior MB Jaime Gotham came off the bench and had seven blocks, while sophomore S Sam Viox and freshman DS Elizabeth Sweeney had eight and five digs each. -- Freshman MB Jessica Brown continued to make her case for MAC Freshman of the Year by delivering 10 kills and seven blocks at Central Michigan and 19 kills hitting .300 with three blocks at Eastern Michigan. -- With the victory at CMU, the Broncos won their 20th match for the fifth consecutive season. Head coach Colleen Munson has reached the 20-win plateau in each of her five seasons leading the Brown & Gold.

Week 12: College Volleyball Players Of The Week from the SEC, Horizon League, Pac-10, and ACC

Schuh and Shiramizu named Volleyball Players of the Week

Horizon League awards go to Milwaukee sophomore and Wright State freshman

 

INDIANAPOLIS – University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sophomore Kerri Schuh has been named Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, while Wright State University freshman Stefanie Shiramizu has earned Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors for the period of Nov. 9-15.

 

Schuh, an outside hitter from Appleton, Wis., earns the award for the first time in her career after hitting .342 and recording 4.25 kills per set last week.

 

Schuh helped lift Milwaukee to a No. 3 seed for the upcoming Horizon League Championship with wins over Valparaiso University on Friday and Butler University on Saturday.  She collected a career-best 22 smackdowns and hit .415 against Butler.

 

Shiramizu, a libero from Okemos, Mich., earns the accolade for the first time in her career after registering a League-best 7.50 digs per set last week.

 

Shiramizu helped Wright State close out its season with a victory over Youngstown State University on Saturday.  She recorded a career-best 31 digs vs. the Penguins.

 

Milwaukee (13-14, 10-6), which has won eight straight matches overall, will battle the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in a Horizon League quarterfinal on Friday at 5 p.m. ET.  The Panthers will be shooting for their third tournament crown in the past four years.

 

Both student-athletes will become eligible for the Horizon League Network’s “People’s Choice” award, which is announced each Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.  Log on to www.HorizonLeagueNetwork.tv to vote.

 

Other Horizon League top performers (Nov. 9-15)

Amy Grabiec, Cleveland State, Sophomore, L -- 1-0 record, 3 SP, 14 Digs

Holly Visser, Green Bay, Senior, OH -- 1-1 record, 7 SP, 26 K, 85 TA, .259 Pct, 35 Digs

Natalie Pounovich, Loyola, Sophomore, MB -- 0-2 record, 5 SP, 19 K, 39 TA, .359 Pct, 8 TB

Lauren Felsing, Milwaukee, Senior, L -- 2-0 record, 8 SP, 39 Digs

Tara Diebler, Valparaiso, Junior, MH -- 0-2 record, 8 SP, 39 K, 88 TA, .341 Pct

Laurie Shives, Youngstown State, Junior, DS -- 0-2 record, 7 SP, 36 Digs

Schuh Earns Horizon League Offensive Player Of The Week Honors

Sophomore helps Panthers to pair of victories

MILWAUKEE - Kerri Schuh of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been named the Horizon League Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced today.

She had a collegiate-best 22 kills in the win over Butler Saturday and has now reached double digits in kills in nine-straight matches.

In two matches this past weekend, Schuh averaged 4.25 kills per set and hit .342. She helped lead a UWM offense that hit .265 and averaged almost 16 kills per set in two victories.

Schuh has been a big part of UWM's eight-match winning streak. In fact, over the last eight contests, she is averaging 3.56 kills per set and hitting .294. This run has helped boost her overall season numbers, which find her at 2.53 kills per set and a solid .228 hitting clip.

Schuh and the Panthers are now headed to Cleveland, Ohio for this weekend's Horizon League Tournament. Third-seeded UWM faces sixth-seeded Green Bay Friday at 5 p.m. EST/4 p.m. CST in the tournament's opening match.

FOWLER RAKES IN SECOND STRAIGHT SEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD

Junior Has Claimed the Honors Six Times in Her Career

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In what is quickly becoming a weekly tradition, University of Tennessee junior outside hitter Nikki Fowler has earned her second consecutive Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week award, the league office announced Monday afternoon.

 

The Dallas, Texas, native has now claimed the honors a conference-high three times this year and six times in her three seasons at Rocky Top, making her the second-most decorated offensive player in league history, behind only three-time SEC Player of the Year Aury Cruz from Florida who garnered offensive player of the week honors seven times during her stint in Gainesville.

 

Fowler has now picked up weekly accolades three times in each of the past two seasons. Only four other players in league history (Shonda Cole – South Carolina – 2006; Michelle Green – Alabama – 2000; Alexandra Oquendo – Georgia – 2004; Kristen Andre – Tennessee – 2005) have accomplished that feat once and Fowler is the only player to have done it twice. LSU’s Brittnee Cooper is the only other player to have won the weekly offensive award more than once, claiming the honors twice.

 

The 6-2 outside hitter helped the Lady Vols reach the 20-win mark for the second straight season, seventh time in the past 10 years and 18th time overall this past weekend as she continued her outstanding all-around play with two more stellar performances on the road at Auburn and Georgia. As she has been all season, Fowler was the team’s top offensive weapon, taking over a third of the team’s swings and recording 40 percent of its kills with an astounding total of 51 in just two matches.

 

She was a force all over the court as evidenced by the fact that she averaged 5.10 kills, 2.80 digs and 1.20 blocks per set while collecting her 10th and 11th consecutive double-doubles, giving her 14 this season and 32 in her career. Fowler also hit .327 with just 14 errors in 113 attacks, which is 102 points above her season average.

 

Against Auburn on Friday, the Dallas, Texas, native pounded out a match-high 22 kills, in addition to tallying 15 digs, four blocks and a pair of assists. She followed up that performance with arguably the best match of her career on Sunday at Georgia where she delivered a personal-best 29 kills on .362 hitting (29-8-58) and narrowly missed her second career triple-double with 13 digs and career-high tying eight blocks.

 

The 29 putaways stand as the ninth-highest total in a five-set match in school history (highest in 25-point scoring format), tie for the most by an SEC player in any match this season and top her previous best of 28 which she set against South Carolina on Nov. 11, 2007. She now has five matches with 20+ kills in 2009 and 14 in her career. The back-to-back 20+ kill performances mark the first time in her career that she has accomplished that feat in consecutive contests.

 

During her 11-match double-double streak, Fowler is averaging an incredible 4.47 kills and 3.60 digs per set, in addition to hitting at a solid .268 clip and collecting 0.95 blocks per frame. For the season, she leads the team in kills (379), kills per set (3.72), total attacks (1041), points (450.5) and points per set (4.42). She also ranks second on the squad with 335 digs and 3.28 digs per set and third with 93 blocks and 0.91 blocks per set. Fowler is also passing at a steady .959 rate with just 22 errors in 542 reception attempts.

 

The Orange and White will return home to close out the 2009 regular-season slate with its longest homestand of the year. The Lady Vols will first take on No. 10 Florida at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20. A 1:30 p.m. contest against South Carolina will follow two days later, before 11th-ranked Kentucky makes the trip to Rocky Top to finish off the regular season. The UT-UK face-off is set to take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25.

 

##LADY VOL VOLLEYBALL##

USC VOLLEYBALL PLAYER LAUREN WILLIAMS NAMED PAC-10 VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

WANUT CREEK, Calif. -- Commissioner Larry Scott announced today that sophomore USC middle blocker Lauren Williams has been named the Pac-10 Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week for Nov. 9-15.

Williams, who hails from Houston, Texas, led the 17th-ranked Trojans to a pair of victories over ranked opponents, including an upset over No. 4 WASHINGTON. In Friday’s 3-2 win over the Huskies, Williams tallied 14 kills while hitting .364 and tying a career-high with eight blocks, including four solo blocks. This marked the third time in her career that she recorded eight blocks.

In Saturday’s 3-1 victory over No. 25 WASHINGTON STATE, Williams posted a career-high 19 kills without recording an error in 34 swings for a hitting percentage of .559. She also tied a career-high with three assists and totaled a match-high 21 points.

For the weekend, Williams had 33 kills while hitting .462, 11 blocks and led the Women of Troy with 41 points. In addition, she ranks seventh in the Pac-10 in hitting percentage (.346). 

This is the first weekly honor for Williams, and USC’s 43rd all-time Player of the Week.

Also Nominated: Whitney Dosty, ARIZ; Hana Cutura, CAL;Heather Meyers, ORE; Gabi Ailes, STAN; Lainey Gera, UCLA;Kindra Carlson, WASH

2009 PAC-10 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Aug. 31 - Tiffany Owens, ARIZ; Sept. 8 - Renee Bordelon, WSU; Sept. 14 - Lauren Cook, UCLA*; Sept. 21 - Rachel Rourke, OSU; Sept. 28 - Tamari Miyashiro, WASH; Oct. 5 - Alix Klineman, STAN*; Oct. 12 -Janet Okogbaa, STAN; Oct. 19 - Sonja Newcombe, ORE*; Oct. 26 - Hana Cutura, CAL*; Nov. 2 - Kaitlin Sather, UCLA; Nov. 9 -Hana Cutura, CAL; Nov. 16 - Lauren Williams, USC

• - AVCA National Player of the Week

-www.pac-10.org-

Clemson Volleyball Player Lia Proctor Earns 

ACC Volleyball Player of the Week

Senior is second Tiger to win award in as many weeks

 

 

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Clemson senior outside hitter Lia Proctor racked up 35 kills and 19 digs in the Tigers’ two matches over the October 13-15 weekend to earn Atlantic Coast Conference Volleyball Player of the Week honors, announced today.  Proctor is the third Tiger to garner the accolade this season, and second in a row after freshman middle blocker Sandra Adeleye was named last week (Nov. 9).

 

Despite a 3-1 loss to Florida State (Nov. 13), Proctor smashed 22 kills—her fifth 20-kill match this season—against only seven errors in 51 attacks for a .294 hitting percentage.  She also recorded 10 digs against the No. 15 Seminoles (American Volleyball Coaches Association) for her 12th double-double of the season, which is tied for third in the league.  The Spartanburg, S.C. native had 13 kills, nine digs, and four total blocks in a 3-0 sweep of Miami (Nov. 14).

 

Over the two-game stretch, Proctor averaged 5.00 kills per set, 2.71 digs per set, and totaled five blocks.  This season, Proctor has recorded 10 or more kills 20 times, including the last five straight matches.

 

Clemson will return to action on Friday, November 20 when it hosts Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. in Jervey Gymnasium in Clemson, S.C.  The Tigers will then welcome Virginia on Saturday, November 21 for a 6 p.m. match.

 

The ACC Volleyball Player of the Week will be announced by 5:00 p.m. each Monday during the season.  More ACC volleyball information can be accessed at http://www.theacc.com/sports/w-volley/acc-w-volley-body.html.

 

ACC Volleyball Players of the Week

Date     Player                    Cl.   Pos.   School

Aug. 31  Monique Mead            Fr.    OH       Georgia Tech

Sept. 7   Kelsey Murphy           Sr.    S          Clemson

Sept. 14 Brittany Roderick        Sr.    MB      Georgia Tech

Sept. 21 Kellie Catanach           So.    S          Duke

Sept. 28 Rachael Moss              Sr.    OH       Duke

Oct. 5     Lane Carico                  So.    OH       Miami

Oct. 12   Jordana Price              Sr.    MB      Florida State

Oct. 19   Justine Record            So.    OH       Virginia Tech

Oct. 27   Simone Asque             So.    OH       Virginia

Nov. 2    Simone Asque             So.    OH       Virginia

Nov. 9    Sandra Adeleye          Fr.    MB      Clemson

               Rachael Moss              Sr.    OH       Duke

Nov. 16  Lia Proctor                   Sr.    OH       Clemson

 

 

Week 12: College Volleyball Players Of The Week from America East, C-USA, Big Ten, Big South, Summit, Big West and Southland

Corinne Perry Finishes 2009 Season With Fourth Rookie of the Week Honor 

Stony Brook, N.Y. (Nov. 16, 2009) – Freshman Corinne Perry(Northport, N.Y.) capped an impressive first season with Stony Brook’s volleyball team by taking home her fourth America East Rookie of the Week honor on Monday. Perry dished out 49 assists in the Seawolves 3-2 loss to New Hampshire while adding ten digs. It was Perry’s third double-double of the season. She also added two aces, a kill and a block. 

CONFERENCE USA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

 

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tyler Henderson, Tulsa

5-10, Fr., OH (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

For the third consecutive week, Henderson has captured Conference-USA’s Offensive Player of the Week honors.  Henderson averaged 4.57 kills per set, totaling 32 kills, and scored 35.5 points (5.07 per set) in two wins over SMU. She also added five blocks (0.86 per set), nine digs (1.29 per set) and two assists in the two matches. In Thursday’s 3-0 sweep, she recorded 15 kills to one error for a .368 attack percentage. In the Hurricane’s 3-1 win in Dallas Saturday, Henderson tallied 17 kills, set a career-high with five blocks (one solo, four assists), and matched a career-high with five digs. This is Henderson’s fourth Offensive Player of the Week award, the most for any C-USA offensive player this season.

 

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tracey Lam, Rice

5-6, Jr., L (San Francisco, Calif.)

Lam had a strong defensive match by averaging 6.67 digs per set in the team’s 3-0 win over rival  Houston last Thursday. She had a match-high 20 digs, landed two service aces and dished out two assists in the victory. This is Lam’s third Defensive Player of the Week award and ninth of her career.

 

SETTER OF THE WEEK

Meredith Schamun, Rice

5-11, Jr., S (Murrieta, Calif.)

Schamun averaged 12.00 assists per set in the 3-0 win over Houston as the Owls tallied 46 kills. She also added 11 digs to her credit for her 11th double-double of the season. This is Schamun’s third Setter of the Week award  in 2009 and sixth of her career.

 

 

2009 CONFERENCE-USA VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Offensive

A31         Elizabeth Herman, Marshall

S8            Hannah Stout, Tulsa

S14         Dana Powell, SMU

S21         Ashley Mell, Southern Miss

S28         Visnja Djurdjevic, Tulane

O5           Ashley Mell, Southern Miss

O12        Tyler Henderson, Tulsa

O19        Angela Hlavaty, Southern Miss

O26        Hannah Stout, Tulsa & Emily Sullivan, Marshall

N2           Tyler Henderson, Tulsa

N9           Tyler Henderson, Tulsa

N16         Tyler Henderson, Tulsa

Defensive

A31         Jessica Adams, Tulsa

S8            Maia Ivanova, Southern Miss

S14         Sidney Stewart, SMU & Jessica Adams, Tulsa

S21         Sidney Stewart, SMU

S28         Jennifer Nolasco, UTEP

O5           Maia Ivanova, Southern Miss

O12        Kendra Kahanek, SMU

O19        Jessica Adams, Tulsa

O26        Tracey Lam, Rice

N2           Tracey Lam, Rice & Patty Paniagua, UAB

N9           Jessica Adams, Tulsa

N16         Tracey Lam, Rice

 

Setter

A31         Andee Youngblood, UCF

S8            Elizabeth Fleming, Marshall

S14         Rachel Lindelow, Tulane

S21         Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss

S28         Rachel Lindelow, Tulane & Meredith Schamun, Rice

O5           Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss

O12        Meredith Schamun, Rice

O19        Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss

O26        Elizabeth Fleming, Marshall

N2           Meredith Schamun, Rice

N9           Kelsea Seymour, Southern Miss

N16         Meredith Schamun, Rice

 

Ashley Benson Named Big Ten Defensive Volleyball Player of the Week

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Junior middle blocker Ashley Benson was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. It marks the third weekly accolade of her career after winning back-to-back Player of the Week awards last season.

Benson led Indiana to a road split at Michigan State and No. 14 Michigan, averaging 2.00 blocks per set. She racked up a career-high 11 stuffs in a win over the Spartans on Friday. Benson then pulled the Hoosiers back from a two-sets-to-none deficit against Michigan, forcing a fifth set on the strength of nine blocks, including two solos. 

She ranks among the nation's leaders at the net, improving her season average to 1.13 blocks/set, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten.

On the weekend, Benson also contributed 3.30 kills per set on .365 hitting with five digs and a service ace.

Chelaine McCarty Named Big South Volleyball Player of the Week

 

     LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty senior middle blocker Chelaine McCarty has been tabbed the Big South Choice Hotels Volleyball Player of the Week, for matches played Nov. 8-14. Her efforts helped the Lady Flames go 2-0 on the week, earning a share of the Big South regular-season title.

     McCarty (Houston, Ala.) has now been honored as Big South Player of the Week three times this season, the most of any conference player. She was previously recognized on Sept. 28 and Oct. 26.

     After participating in the pre-match Senior Night recognition, McCarty excelled in the final home match of her career, Nov. 10 versus High Point. She hit a match-high .529 with 10 kills and four blocks, helping the Lady Flames sweep the Panthers, 3-0.

     McCarty then led all players with 17 kills Saturday at Charleston Southern, helping the Lady Flames win the last two sets to claim a 3-2 win. The senior hit .583 with seven kills and five digs during the fourth and fifth sets, sparking Liberty’s comeback.

     Entering this week’s Big South Volleyball Championship, McCarty ranks in the top 10 of three different Big South statistical categories. She sits No. 2 in attack percentage (.358), No. 7 in blocks per set (0.78 bps) and No. 10 in kills per set (2.96 kps).

     McCarty and the two-time defending Big South champion Lady Flames have earned the No. 2 seed for the Big South Volleyball Championship, with a 13-3 conference record. Liberty will face No. 7 seed Gardner-Webb Thursday at noon, in the first of four quarterfinal matches to be held at the Dedmon Center in Radford, Va.

 

Elizabeth Beck Named Summit League Offensive Player of the Week

Kansas City, Mo. -- UMKC volleyball player Elizabeth Beck was named The Summit League Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced today.  Beck earns the honor after posting a season-high 17 kills against Oakland in the match that put the ‘Roos in the postseason for the first time since 2003.  The sophomore added team-highs of 11 kills in the wins over SIU Edwardsville and IPFW to help garner the award.  In UMKC’s three wins last week, the Omaha, Neb., native totaled 39 kills and 10 digs to go along with five assists and two aces.

On the season, the outside hitter has registered 158 kills, leading the squad in kills in six matches.  Beck ranks fourth on the team in kills and assists (130), respectively, while sitting third on the team with a 2.26 kills per set average

Beck joins teammates Kelsey Knoche and Christiana McQuin as 2009 Summit League Player of the Week honorees, as Knoche earned Offensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 26 and McQuin earned Defensive Player of the Week last week.  Beck is the fourth current ‘Roo to be honored as Summit League Player of the week, as teammate Brittany Fossier won the award last season.  The last time that the award was given to a player from UMKC three times in the same year was in 2002.

Beck’s play last weekend helped the squad make The Summit League Tournament after it entered the weekend trailing Oakland by two matches with only two matches left to play.  For the season, Beck helped the ‘Roos notch the best home winning percentage in school history with a mark of .700 and the second best overall winning percentage with a current mark of .500.  Meanwhile, this year’s squad tied the record for the most league wins in school history with 10, while also recording two five-match winning streaks and a current six match home winning streak, the longest in school history.

The Summit League Tournament begins on Friday evening in Fargo, N.D., with the Blue and Gold slated to face top-seeded North Dakota State at 7:30 p.m.  The squad will look to continue its hot play against the Bison, who finished the regular season with their second straight undefeated mark in league play.

Week 12: Big West Player of the Week - Monday, November 16, 2009

Ledoux’s Record Night Earns Her Big West Honors

Irvine, Calif. - A record-setting night for sophomore Caitlin Ledoux in Long Beach State’s win over UC Riverside earned her Big West Women’s Volleyball Player of the Week, for the week ending Nov. 15. This is her first honor of the season and the 49ers’ second award recipient of the year following Naomi Washington’s selection on Sept. 14.

In Friday’s match at UC Riverside, Ledoux tied former 49er Tara Cross for the sixth-most kills in a single match in Long Beach State history with 33.
Her 33 kills were the most for any Long Beach State player since Tayyiba Haneef in 2000, and Ledoux was just the third player in school history to reach 33 kills, joining Haneef and Cross (five times) at that number. The outside hitter from Phelan, Calif., also added a pair of aces and nine digs against the Highlanders.

The following night at Cal State Northridge, Ledoux nearly finished with a 20-20, posting 21 kills and 19 digs against the Matadors, pacing Long
Beach State in both categories.

For the week, Ledoux averaged 6.00 kills and 3.11 digs per set while hitting .236.
Others nominated: Dominique Olowolafe (Cal Poly), Lynda Morales (Cal State Northridge), Kari Pestolesi (UC Irvine), Svenja Engelhardt (Pacific)
###

Stephen F. Austin Sweeps Southland Volleyball Player of the Week Awards

The Ladyjacks sweep the weekly awards for the second time this season

 

FRISCO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin junior Arielle Daron and freshman Madison Hanlan were named the offensive and defensive players of the week respectively by vote of the league’s sports information directors. The Ladyjacks make their second sweep of the weekly awards this season joining Sam Houston State and Central Arkansas as the only league teams with sweeps on the year. Daron receives her first award and Hanlan takes home her second honor of the season. The Ladyjacks are tied for second in the league with six awards this season, one behind regular season champion Central Arkansas with seven. Stephen F. Austin leads the Southland with four different player of the week recipients.

 

Offensive Player of the Week - Arielle Daron, Stephen F. Austin

Daron, a native of Houston, Texas, was outstanding in the final week of the regular season for the Ladyjacks, helping SFA to three wins and locking up the No. 3 overall seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament. She caught fire in a 3-1 win over McNeese State with 17 kills in four sets, including 10 in the third set alone, hitting .325 on 40 swings with a pair of blocks as well. Two days later she hit .375 with eight kills as SFA cruised by Nicholls in just three sets, and then just two days later again she led all players with 16 kills without a single misfire on 24 swings (.667). For the week she finished with a .438 attack percentage and an average of 4.10 kills per set.

 

Honorable Mention: Jessica Hays, UCA; Lauren Mayer, SLU; Amanda Aguilera, UTA; Emma Ridley, AMCC; Jessica Weynand, TXST.

 

Defensive Player of the Week - Madison Hanlan, Stephen F. Austin

Hanlan, a native of Arlington, Texas, had a standout week defensively for SFA, helping the Ladyjacks to a 3-0 record on the week and securing the No. 3 overall seed in the upcoming Southland Conference Tournament. She hit double-figure digs in each of the three matches, including 22 (4.50 dps) in a 3-1 win over McNeese.  Two days later she added 17 (5.67 dps) in a win over Southeastern, and added 13 more and four service aces in Saturday’s 3-0 sweep of Nicholls. For the week she averaged 5.20 digs per set with the SFA defense holding its three opponents to just .112 hitting.

 

Honorable Mention: Lauren Mayer, SLU; Alicia Shaffer, UTA; Jillian Wolpman, TXST.

 

– www.Southland.org–