SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG sophomore Ashley Muench was named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week and Mercer junior Tori Penrod took Defensive Player of the Week honors for competition that took place Sept. 7-13. Selections were made by the conference office.

Offensive Player of the Week: Ashley Muench ▪ UNCG ▪ Sophomore ▪ Outside Hitter ▪ Hurdle Mills, N.C.

Muench, an outside hitter from Hurdle Mills, N.C., tallied 66 kills in a perfect 4-0 week for the Spartans, good for 5.06 kills per set. The sophomore managed a .482 hitting percentage across the four matches. In a 3-1 win over local rival High Point, Muench registered 15 digs with a .333 percentage. She then notched 16 kills with a .464 hitting percentage against Norfolk State before delivering 18 kills at a .556 clip in a win over North Carolina A&T. Muench capped off the weekend with a 17-kill performance in a 3-0 sweep of Alabama State to claim the Spartan-Aggie Invitational crown.

Other nominees: Megan Sowell (The Citadel), Rylee Milhorn (ETSU), T.J. Russell (Samford), Lauren Greenspoon (Chattanooga), Katie O’Connor (Western Carolina), Bella Santoro (Wofford).

Defensive Player of the Week: Tori Penrod ▪ Mercer ▪ Junior ▪ Libero ▪ Jupiter, Fla.

Penrod, a libero from Jupiter, Fla., racked up 50 digs in two matches this past weekend, including a 33-dig performance against Stetson that also included three aces. The 33 digs were a career high for Penrod and tied The Citadel’s Moriah Smith for most digs in a match this season by a SoCon player. Penrod followed up with 17 digs against FIU on Saturday. She currently leads the SoCon in digs per set at 4.86.

Other nominees: Samantha Espy (The Citadel), Hailey Aguilar (ETSU), Katherine Santiago (UNCG), Catherine Chason (Chattanooga), Elyssa Mulheron (Western Carolina).

-www.SoConSports.com-