Albany's Ashley Hunter (Moreno Valley, Calif./Canyon Springs) has been named Player of the Week for the second time this season, while UMBC's Sarah Ball (Winnipeg, Canada/Sisler) earns her seventh America East Rookie of the Week honor. Blair Buchanan (Muncie, Ind./Delta) of Albany and Lucia Bridova (Bratislava, Slovakia) share this week's Setter of Week award as well. The award were announced Monday (October 24).
Hunter averaged 4.67 kills per game last week, including a 5.33 kills per game in two conference matches. Hunter hit .348 on the week and added 1.00 digs and 4.83 points per game. In non-conference action against Connecticut, Hunter smacked a team-high 10 kills and added three digs. Hunter drilled a match-high 20 kills on 37 attempts and added one assist and two digs in a sweep at Maine. It was the fourth time this season she reached the 20-kill mark. Then against Binghamton, Hunter tallied 12 kills, one ace, four digs and one block as the Great Danes avenged their earlier loss to the Bearcats. For the season, Hunter ranks second on the squad with 3.85 kills per game and fourth with a .299 hitting percentage.
Ball recorded 3.43 kpg, 2.14 dpg and 4.43 ppg last week in two matches with the Retrievers. The rookie outside hitter extended her streak of double-digit kills to 20, with reaching the 10-plus mark in every collegiate match played in to date. Ball against American University tallied 11 kills with six digs, adding a service ace and two block assists for 13.0 points in the match. Against New Hampshire in conference play, Ball recorded 18.0 points, with 13 kills, four service aces and two block assists. Ball added nine digs, coming one dig away from recording her 11th double-double of the year. Ball’s four service aces match a single-game high for her as she recorded four in the season opener this year. Ball on the week recorded a .125 hitting percentage and finished with 31.0 total points.
Buchanan averaged 1.56 kpg, 11.33 apg, and 2.44 dpg as UAlbany won all three of its matches last week. Buchanan started the week with 35 assists, four digs and six kills against Connecticut. Then at Maine, Buchanan notched her seventh double-double of the season with 32 assists and 12 digs in addition to three service aces, two kills and one block. The junior setter finished the week with 35 assits, six digs, six kills and one block against the Bearcats. For the season, Buchanan is averaging 12.08 assists, 1.32 kills, 2.34 digs and 0.35 blocks per game. She continues to close in on the program’s all-time assists record, needing just 17 to surpass Lisa Greiner’s mark of 3,260. Bridova has one of her finest weeks as a Wildcat notching 94 assists in two matches. She averaged 10.44 assists per game to go along with 16 digs, nine blocks and nine kills with a .250 hitting percentage. Bridova registered 40 assists and six blocks on Friday against Stony Brook and 54 helpers and 10 digs in the win vs. UMBC on Sunday.