Albany's Ashley Hunter and Binghamton's Megan Hoag share the season's first Player of the Week award, while Sarah Ball of UMBC took home the Rookie of the Week award and Albany's Blair Buchanan was named Setter of the Week on Monday (September 6).
Hunter leads the Great Danes and America East in kills (5.64) and points per game (6.14), while also averaging 1.07 digs per game and 0.50 blocks per game. The senior outside hitter dominated in the first two matches of the season, with 24 kills against Seton Hall and 23 kills versus Buffalo. She also tallied 19 kills against NCAA Tournament team Texas State and a team-high 11 kills against No. 19 California. In just her second season with the team, Hunter has moved to No. 20 on UAlbany’s career kills list with 460.
In four matches this season, Hoag leads the Bearcats with 3.19 kpg and 3.06 dpg with a .309 hitting percentage. Against St. John’s, she posted a career-high 18 kills. She is the only member of the team to have a double-double in all four matches to help lead Binghamton to its first 4-0 start since the 1997 season.
Ball shined in her first appearances with the Retrievers, recording a double-double in all five of UMBC’s matches. Ball is hitting .230 with a 3.86 kpg average and is recording 3.14 dpg. The rookie also has eight service aces, 13 total blocks and six assists to start the season. Ball, after tallying three double-doubles at the George Mason Patriot Invitational, was named to the all-tournament team. Ball averaged 4.62 kpg and 3.23 dpg in the invitational. Against invitational champion Cal Poly, Ball recorded a single-match high of 24 kills to go with 14 digs as the Retrievers took Cal Poly to five sets. Her 24 kills ranked first for a single-match high in the tournament. Ball notched 19 kills and 17 digs against Loyola (Md.) and 17 kills and 11 digs against TCU in other tournament competition. To open the season in a tri-match at home, Ball scored 11 kills and 16 digs against Northeastern and 14 kills and 11 digs against Villanova.
Buchanan, the 2004 America East Player and Setter of the Year, has already amassed 209 assists and leads America East with 13.06 assists per game. She surpassed 50 assists in each of the team’s first two matches, with 50 against Seton Hall and 51 against Buffalo. Buchanan has also tallied 1.19 kpg), 1.94 dpg and 0.25 bpg.