Maine's Brittany Howe (Columbia, Maine/Narraguagus) and Binghamton's Jacki Kane (Centennial, Ohio/Grandview) have been named America East Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week respectively, while Blair Buchanan (Muncie, Ind./Delta) of Albany garners Setter of the Week accolades again.
Howe helped lead the Black Bears to three victories on the week, improving their win streak to a season-high eight matches. She averaged 4.33 kills and 0.58 blocks per game, while hitting a conference-best .489. She tallied a season-best 19 kills in a 3-2 victory over New Hampshire in the conference opener for both teams, and followed that up with 15 kills versus Stony Brook and 18 kills against UMBC. Howe has had double-figures in kills in each of Maine’s last five contests.
In her first four starts of her collegiate career, Kane averaged 3.23 kills and 1.46 blocks per game, while hitting a solid .463. She nailed a match high 18 kills and hit .500 in Binghamton’s three-game win over Hartford and then had 13 kills and no errors in 23 attempts for a .565 attack percentage at Siena. She also added a career-high 10 blocks (two solo, eight assists) against the Saints.
Buchanan, winner of her third such award on the season, continued to show her all-around ability last week, as she averaged 13.89 assists, 1.33 kills, 2.22 digs and 0.44 blocks per game, while hitting .290. She broke the 40-assist mark twice in three matches, with 45 against Binghamton and 42 at Northeastern, and has now moved into fifth place all-time at Albany with 1,640 career assists.