BOSTON - The first week of college volleyball regular-season play saw some impressive wins for the America East. The UNH Wildcats highlighted the weekend for the conference with a win over the ACC's Wake Forest. UMBC had a pair of victories and were led by impressive performances by freshmen to be the only team with mutliple victories. Albany and Stony Brook grabbed wins over Belmont and Buffalo, respectively, and Binghamton topped Stetson in the final game of their tournament. Here are the week one award winners:
Player & Rookie of the Week
Maddie Schneider, UMBC, Fr., OH, Olathe, Kan.
- Led the conference in both kills per set (4.25) and hitting percentage (.356) to be named both Player and Rookie of the Week.
- Had 17 kills and 11 digs in a win over Robert Morris, her first collegiate match. Finished with a .419 hitting percentage.
- Finished the weekend with 14 kills on 30 swings for a .433 hitting percentage in a four-set loss to Robert Morris.
Setter of the Week
Morgan Kath, Stony Brook, Fr., Setter, Milwaukee, Wis.
- Led the conference last week, averaging 9.18 assists per set while helping Stony Brook finish second in the league in hitting percentage for the week.
- Notched 28 assists in a three-set loss to two-time defending national champion Penn State.
- Had 40 assists and six digs in a win over Buffalo.
Defensive Specialist of the Week
Bailey Walker, Binghamton, Jr., L, Bayport, N.Y.
- Led the conference for the week, averaging 5.44 digs per set for the Bearcats.
- Helped Binghamton hold opponents to a .186 hitting percentage which ranked second in the America East last week.
- Registered double-digit digs in each of Binghamton's four matches, including 35 vs. Bethune-Cookman.
- Made just five receiving errors for the week over four matches.
Notes
- New Hampshire notched its first win over an ACC opponent since beating NC State on September 21, 2002 with its four-set win over Wake Forest.
- UMass Lowell's Lauren Bennett was named to the Marron & Gray Invitational All-Tournament team. She averaged 1.13 blocks per set to lead the conference for the week.
- Binghamton freshman Erin Shultz and UMBC freshman Mackenzie Morgan each totaled 20 kills in a single match last week, the best for any America East student-athlete during the weekend.
- Stony Brook freshman McKyla Morgan had the best single-match hitting percentage in the conference last week, hitting .571 with 14 kills in a win over Buffalo.
Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 31 - Player & Rookie of the Week: Maddie Schneider, UMBC; Setter of the Week: Morgan Kath, Stony Brook; Defensive Specialist of the Week: Bailey Walker, Binghamton