CAA Volleyball Weekly Awards – October 16th
Richmond, VA (October 16, 2023) – CAA announced the winners of the Volleyball Weekly Awards after Week 8 of the 2023 season. Towson outside hitter Nina Cusick won the CAA Offensive Player of the Week award, and Delaware middle blocker Kira Johnson was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week. Additionally, Kairi Docter earned his CAA Rookie of the Week honor for the second year in a row.
Offensive Player of the Week
Nina Cusick, Towson
Senior | Outside Hitter | Subotica, Serbia / Politehnicka skola Subotica
Kazich batted an impressive .547 with 4.43 kills per set and led Towson to a victory over UNCW over the weekend. The senior outside hitter totaled 31 kills over the weekend with just two errors and added 18 digs (2.57/set), four aces and three blocks. On Saturday, Kazich recorded her fourth double-double of the season, recording a match-high 18 kills with no mistakes and hitting .600 with 13 kills in the four-set victory. She continued her performance with a match-high 13 kills, a .478 swing, and added five digs and two aces in a straight-up win on Sunday.
Defensive player of the week
Kira Johnson, Delaware
Senior | Middle Blocker | Centerville, Virginia/Westfield
Johnson totaled 16 blocks and averaged 2.29 blocks per set to lead a Delaware State defense that held Stony Brook to a .130 batting average. Weekend sweep of the Seawolves. The senior middle blocker put an exclamation point on the weekend, recording the first double-double of his career on Sunday. Johnson recorded a career-high 13 blocks in the four-set win and added 11 kills while batting .355. The 13 blocks were the second most by a CAA student-athlete in a game this season and the most by a Blue Hen since 2012. In addition, Johnson added three blocks and three kills without a miss in Saturday’s straight-up win.
Rookie of the week
Kairi Docter, North Carolina A&T
Freshman | Outside Hitter | Mars, Pa./Pine-Richland
Docter had 3.50 kills per set and helped North Carolina A&T win a weekend sweep of Phoenix and end a 17-year, 14-game losing streak against Elon. On Saturday, the freshman outside hitter had 15 kills with four digs and two blocks in the Aggies’ five-set win. Docter ended the weekend with a straight-up win on Sunday with a match-high 13 kills, a .407 batting average, five digs and three blocks. With her performance over the weekend, the freshman extended her streak of games with at least 10 kills to six straight games.
2023 CAA Volleyball Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Week
August 28th: Naiya Sawtell, North Carolina A&T
September 4: Ilve Lazda, Towson
September 11th: Beatriz Alves, Hofstra
September 18th: Taylor Burrell, William & Mary.Isadora Stedile, Hofstra
September 25th: Naiya Sawtell, North Carolina A&T
October 2nd: Sarah Jordan, Towson
October 9th: Tori Henry, Stony Brook
October 16th: Nina Cusick, Towson
Defensive player of the week
August 28th: Ilve Lazda, Towson
September 4: Olivia Esposito, William & Mary.Asia, Murray, Delaware
September 11th: Claran Fechter, Campbell
September 18th: Nyla Shepherd, Northeast
September 25th: Grace Melnick, UNCW.Tinley Smeltzer, Charleston
October 2nd: Tinley Smeltzer, Charleston
October 9th: Tinley Smeltzer, Charleston
October 16th: Kira Johnson, Delaware
Rookie of the week
August 28th: Beatriz Braga, Hofstra.Asia, Murray, Delaware
September 4: Abbey Leck, Northeast
September 11th: Abbey Leck, Northeast
September 18th: Cameron Lanier, Elon
September 25th: Kairi Docter, North Carolina A&T
October 2nd: Abbey Leck, Northeast
October 9th: Kairi Docter, North Carolina A&T
October 16th: Kairi Docter, North Carolina A&T
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