SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wofford’s Taylor Baird and Jessica Graham and Davidson’s Mikayla Derochie have been named the SoCon Offensive, Defensive and Freshman Volleyball Players of the Week, respectively, for Oct. 14.
Baird is this week’s Offensive Player of the Week after leading Wofford to two wins over the weekend. She posted a career-high 27 kills and tied a career high with 30 points as the Terriers handed Western Carolina its first loss in conference play Friday. Her 27 kills against the Catamounts were the most for a Wofford player since 2003. Baird continued her weekend with an 11-kill performance in a 3-0 sweep of Appalachian State on Saturday. Baird averaged 4.75 kills per set for the weekend and hit .323 on 93 attacks.
Graham totaled 54 digs in eight sets over the weekend en route to a Defensive Player of the Week award. The sophomore set a career high with 34 digs in a 3-2 Terrier win over Western Carolina on Friday. Graham followed that performance with a 20-dig match in a 3-0 win against Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., on Saturday. Graham ended the weekend averaging 6.75 digs per set and went from sixth to fourth in the SoCon in digs per set this season with 4.60.
Derochie receives her SoCon-record fifth straight Freshman of the Week after another solid performance last week. The freshman setter led Davidson with 10.36 assists and hit better than .600 with no errors in three matches. Derochie had 30 assists, seven digs and three kills in Davidson’s 3-0 loss to Gardner-Webb on Tuesday. She posted 36 assists, 12 digs and six block assists, while hitting .800, in the Wildcats’ second game of the week, against Samford. She finished her week with 48 assists, 11 digs, five kills and a pair of blocks to lead the Wildcats to a 3-1 win over Chattanooga. Derochie’s two double-doubles last week give her four on the year.
Also nominated for Offensive Player of the Week were: The Citadel’s Rachel Keefer, Davidson’s Caroline Brown, Furman’s Christina Dorismond, Georgia Southern’s Kym Coley, UNCG’s Karrian Chambers, Samford’s Taylor Palmer, Chattanooga’s Briana Reid and Western Carolina’s Jordan Timmermann.
Also nominated for Defensive Player of the Week were: The Citadel’s Amanda Rudnik, Furman’s Elle Ross, Georgia Southern’s Alexandra Beecher, Samford’s Chelsi Carter and Western Carolina’s Morgan Cochran.
Also nominated for Freshman of the Week were: The Citadel’s Samantha Espy, Furman’s Annie Bierman, Samford’s Gabbi Greenwald and Chattanooga’s Kendall Sexton.
2013 Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week
Sept. 2 – Jamie DeRatt, Georgia Southern
Sept. 9 – Emily Corrigan, Appalachian State
Sept. 16 – Jordan Timmermann, Western Carolina
Sept. 23 – Karrian Chambers, UNCG
Sept. 30 – Jamie DeRatt, Georgia Southern
Oct. 7 – Andrea Fisher, Furman
Oct. 14 – Taylor Baird, Wofford
2013 Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week
Sept. 2 – Meghan Mahoney, Appalachian State
Sept. 9 – Crysten Curry, Georgia Southern
Sept. 16 – Morgan Cochran, Western Carolina
Sept. 23 – Addy George, Western Carolina
Sept. 30 – Meghan Mahoney, Appalachian State
Oct. 7 – Elle Ross, Furman
Oct. 14 – Jessica Graham, Wofford
2013 Volleyball Freshmen of the Week
Sept. 2 – Erin Bognar, Samford
Sept. 9 – Ashton Gregory, Furman
Sept. 16 – Mikayla Derochie, Davidson
Sept. 23 – Mikayla Derochie, Davidson
Sept. 30 – Mikayla Derochie, Davidson
Oct. 7 – Mikayla Derochie, Davidson
Oct. 14 – Mikayla Derochie, Davidson