SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Sept. 16-22. Western Carolina outside hitter Abigail Veit was named the Offensive Player of the Week, ETSU’s Sydney Cherney was named the Defensive Player of the Week and Mercer’s Malia Randolph was tabbed the Setter of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
Veit helped Western Carolina to a 4-0 week, recording double-doubles in three contests. In a midweek sweep of UNC Asheville, Veit hit .314 and led all players with 16 kills in Western Carolina’s home opener. She added eight digs, narrowly missing out on a double-double, and had one assist, one service ace and one block assist. She kicked off play in the UNCW Hampton Inn Classic by hitting .240 with 17 kills on 50 swings in a five-set win against Drake. She also tallied 13 digs, notching her first double-double of the tournament, and added three aces at the service line. Later that afternoon, in a 3-2 win over North Carolina A&T, the native of Cary, North Carolina, led Western Carolina with 20 kills, tying a career high. In the tournament finale, she turned in a match-high 18 kills and totaled 19 digs as the Catamounts downed tournament host UNCW in four sets. Veit was named the MVP of the tournament for her performance.
Cherney tallied a team-high 13 digs in a loss at Tennessee on Sept. 20. The next day, the freshman again led the Bucs in digs (17) in a four-set win over North Dakota State. The native of Knoxville, Tennessee, showed out in her hometown in the Tennessee Classic finale, finishing with a career-high 30 digs and adding seven assists in a 3-2 win over Georgia Southern. The freshman was the first player to record 30-plus digs for the Bucs since Oct. 27, 2018. She was named to the all-tournament team for her efforts.
Randolph, a junior transfer from UMass Lowell, averaged 11.83 assists on the week. Mercer, playing in UT Martin’s Skyhawk Invitational, won 3-1 over Little Rock and swept UT Martin before falling to Evansville, who is riding an eight-match win streak, in four sets. The native of McDonough, Georgia, led all players with 47 assists against Little Rock and notched 38 against the host school later that afternoon. She also added seven digs and two blocks assists in the win over the Skyhawks. Against Evansville, Randolph dished out a match-high 44 assists, while also tallying six kills and six digs in the setback.
The recognition is the first for Cherney and Randoph, while Veit picks up her first offensive honor after earning defensive player of the week in week seven last season.
Conference play begins this weekend. Western Carolina hits the road to face UNC Greensboro on Friday, Sept. 27, and Furman on Saturday, Sept. 28. ETSU plays at Furman on Friday and at UNCG on Saturday, while Mercer is also on the road, facing The Citadel on Friday and Wofford a day later.
Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Mellanie King (The Citadel), Kaela Massey (ETSU), Jaida Howell (Mercer), Maria Esch (UNCG) and Riley Coonan (Wofford).
Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Megan Smith (Mercer), Grace Howell (UNCG), Meagan Sanchez (Western Carolina) and Emily Durham (Wofford).
Also nominated for setter of the week: Emily Arnold (ETSU), Gabriela McHugh (UNCG), Hannah Price (Western Carolina) and Lorissa King (Wofford)
2019 SoCon Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week
Sept. 2 Lauren Deaton, So., OH, Samford
Sept. 9 Kaela Massey, Sr., MB, ETSU
Sept. 16 Kelsi Hobbs, Sr., RS, Samford
Sept. 23 Abigail Veit, Sr., OH, Western Carolina
2019 SoCon Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week
Sept. 2 Meagan Sanchez, Sr., LIB, Western Carolina
Sept. 9 Catie Cronister, Sr., OH, Wofford
Sept. 16 Meagan Sanchez, Sr., LIB, Western Carolina
Sept. 23 Sydney Cherney, Fr., LIB, ETSU
2019 SoCon Volleyball Setters of the Week
Sept. 2 Gabriela McHugh, Fr., UNCG
Sept. 9 Corinne Meglic, R-So., Samford
Sept. 16 Corinne Meglic, R-So., Samford
Sept. 23 Malia Randolph, Jr., Mercer
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