SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Oct. 18-24. Furman middle blocker Neci Harris has been named the Offensive Player of the Week, Paladins middle blocker Kelsey Watkins has been named Defensive Player of the Week, and UNCG junior Gabriela McHugh repeats as the Setter of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office. 
 
Harris averaged 4.67 kills per set and hit an impressive .650 on the week, a career high, as Furman swept its lone contest of the week against Wofford on Oct. 20. The Louisville, Kentucky, native tallied a match-high 14 kills and committed just a single error on 20 swings. The senior added one service ace, one dig and six blocks in a well-rounded effort. The sweep of the Terriers was Furman’s first over its upstate rival since Oct. 18, 2018 and snapped a seven-match losing streak in conference play.
 
Watkins averaged 2.67 blocks per set in the Paladins’ 3-0 win over Wofford. The redshirt sophomore from Chicago, Illinois, paced Furman defensively with a career-high eight blocks as the Paladins held Wofford to just a .008 hitting percentage in the match and tallied a season-high 15 blocks as a squad.
 
McHugh earned her fourth Setter of the Week honor of the season and second straight after averaging 12.00 assists per set and picking up a pair of double-doubles in a 2-0 week for the Spartans. In the four-set win over Chattanooga on Friday, the native of Ashley, Indiana, dished out a match-high 47 assists and added 13 digs, three kills and two blocks. Against ETSU on Saturday, McHugh tallied 37 assists, again a match high, and totaled a match-high 16 digs in the 3-0 sweep. McHugh averages a league-best 10.71 assists per set on the season.
 
Furman (7-12, 2-7 SoCon) hits the road for a pair of contests this week, traveling to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to take on the Mocs (6-17, 2-8) on Thursday, Oct. 28, before continuing on to Johnson City, Tennessee, for a Saturday showdown against ETSU (9-12, 5-5). After three straight home matches, UNCG (19-4, 8-2) also travels this week, playing at Mercer (12-9, 8-2) on Friday in a battle for the top spot in the standings, and at Samford (4-17, 3-7) on Saturday.
 
Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Josannah Vazquez (ETSU), Grey Breen (UNCG), Merry Gebel (Western Carolina) and Kennedy Smith (Wofford).

Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Kenzie Kellerman (The Citadel), Taylor Roberts (ETSU), Annie Karle (Mercer), Hannah Knier (UNCG), Destinee Dorsey (Western Carolina) and Kaitlyn Brown (Wofford).

Also nominated for setter of the week: Caroline Dykes (ETSU), Sarah Turner (Furman), Agnieska Paskevic (Mercer), Sydney Carlson (Western Carolina) and Emily Hodsdon (Wofford).
 
2021 SoCon Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 30 Meghan Yaffa, R-Jr., OH, Wofford
Sept. 6 Maia Rackel, Jr., MB/RS, Chattanooga
Sept. 13 Sharlissa De Jesus, Sr., OH, The Citadel
Sept. 20 Kayla White, Gr., OH, UNCG
Sept. 27 Kayla White, Gr., OH, UNCG
Oct. 4 Sara Esposito, Sr., RS, ETSU
Oct. 11 Kenya McQuirter, R-So., OH, Samford
Oct. 18 Kayla White, Gr., OH, UNCG
Oct. 25 Neci Harris, Sr., MB, Furman

2021 SoCon Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 30 Megan Smith, Gr., LIB, Mercer
Sept. 6 Andrea Aceveda, Jr., LIB, Furman
Sept. 13 Destinee Dorsey, So., LIB, Western Carolina
Sept. 20 Kenzie Kellerman, Jr., LIB, The Citadel
Sept. 27 Destinee Dorsey, So., LIB, Western Carolina
Oct. 4 Rayanne de Oliveira, Sr., MH, Mercer
Oct. 11 Paige Gallentine, Fr., LIB, Chattanooga
Oct. 18 Paige Gallentine, Fr., LIB, Chattanooga
Oct. 25 Kelsey Watkins, R-So., MB, Furman

2021 SoCon Volleyball Setters of the Week
Aug. 30 Emily Hodsdon, So., Wofford
Sept. 6 Gabriela McHugh, Jr., UNCG
Sept. 13 Gabriela McHugh, Jr., UNCG
Sept. 20 Caroline Dykes, Fr., ETSU
Sept. 27 Caroline Dykes, Fr., ETSU
Oct. 4 Belle Hogan, Fr., The Citadel
Oct. 11 Emily Hodsdon, So., Wofford
Oct. 18 Gabriela McHugh, Jr., UNCG
Oct. 25 Gabriela McHugh, Jr., UNCG