SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Sept. 23-29. Samford outside hitter Kelsi Hobbs was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Western Carolina’s Meagan Sanchez was named the Defensive Player of the Week and ETSU’s Emily Arnold was tabbed the Setter of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
Hobbs helped Samford to a perfect week as the Bulldogs got off to a 3-0 start in Southern Conference play. The senior hit. 333 with a match-high 15 kills in a sweep of Chattanooga on Sept. 25. Two days later, Hobbs tallied a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs as Samford downed Wofford in four sets on the road. She capped off the week with 18 kills, a match high, and added 15 digs on the defensive end in a 3-1 win at The Citadel.
Sanchez averaged 5.50 digs per set as Western Carolina went 2-0 in conference action, picking up a 3-0 win at UNC Greensboro and a five-set win at Furman. In the sweep over the Spartans, the native of Bristow, Virginia, led the Catamounts with 14 digs. She followed that up with a match-high 30 digs at Furman, adding five assists in the win. Western Carolina has won six matches in a row, the Catamounts’ longest winning streak since 2014, and started off conference play with two straight wins for the first time since the 2013 season.
Arnold, a freshman, averaged an impressive 12.3 assists per set as the Bucs downed Furman 3-1 and swept UNCG, both on the road. The native of Louisville, Kentucky, tallied a career-high 50 assists in the win over Furman, becoming the first ETSU player to record at least 50 assists in a match since Oct. 27, 2018. In the win over the Paladins, Arnold helped four different Bucs reach double-digit kills. She dished out 36 assists and added three kills and seven digs in the win over the Spartans.
The recognition is the second of the season for Hobbs and the third for Sanchez, while Arnold picks up her first career honor.
Hobbs and the Bulldogs play at Mercer on Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Samford’s lone contest of the week. Western Carolina remains on the road, playing at Mercer on Friday, Oct. 4 and at Chattanooga on Saturday, Oct. 5. ETSU, meanwhile, plays at Chattanooga on Friday and at Mercer on Saturday.
Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Olivia Cunningham (ETSU), Courtney Hoffman (Furman), Merry Gebel (Western Carolina) and Catie Cronister (Wofford).
Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Marija Popovic (ETSU), Andrea Acevada (Furman), Megan Smith (Mercer), Grace Tiesman (Samford) and Riley Coonan (Wofford).
Also nominated for setter of the week: Katie Murphy (Furman), Malia Randolph (Mercer), Corinne Meglic (Samford), 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
Sept. 30 Kelsi Hobbs, Sr., OH, Samford
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
Sept. 30 Meagan Sanchez, Sr., LIB, Western Carolina
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
Sept. 30 Emily Arnold, Fr., ETSU
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