SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Aug. 27-29. Wofford outside hitter Meghan Yaffa was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Terriers teammate Emily Hodsdon was named Setter of the Week, while Mercer libero Megan Smith was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office. 
 
Yaffa averaged 3.93 kills per set and hit .359 as Wofford opened the 2021 campaign with a close five-set loss to North Florida, a five-set win over Stony Brook and a 3-1 loss at FAU as the Terriers competed in the FAU Invite in Boca Raton, Florida. Playing in her hometown, the outside hitter eclipsed career highs in kills in each match on Friday, tallying 21 against North Florida and 24 against Stony Brook later that afternoon, both of which were also match highs. Against North Florida she added two assists, three aces, seven digs and two block assists in addition to her 21 kills, hitting .375 in the match. The redshirt junior hit an impressive .415 with an ace, four digs and two blocks that afternoon while setting her career high in kills. In the tournament’s finale, Yaffa capped off her third straight match in double-digit kills, amassing 10, and adding one assist, three aces, five digs and a block. She was named to the FAU Invite All-Tournament Team.   

Hodsdon, a sophomore, averaged 10.07 assists per set on the week. The native of Alpharetta, Georgia, tallied match highs in assists in each of the Terriers’ three matches. Hodsdon dished out 36 assists in the season opener against North Florida, adding seven digs. She nearly doubled that output that afternoon, tallying 63 assists in Wofford’s match against Stony Brook, the Terriers first win of the season. She added three aces and eight digs as she paced Wofford’s .344 hitting percentage in the match. Hodsdon capped off the week with 42 assists and 10 digs, earning a double-double against Florida Atlantic.
 
Smith paced Mercer’s defensive effort on the back row as the Bears went 3-0 with wins over Stetson, New Hampshire and Murray State in the Mercer Bears Classic. The graduate libero tallied a match-high 24 digs in a sweep of Stetson to open the season on Friday, before tallying a team-high 20 digs in a 3-1 win over New Hampshire that afternoon. Smith, an Oakville, Ontario, native, amassed a career-high 32 digs in the tournament finale, a five-set win over Murray State, and was named to the all-tournament team for her efforts.    

Wofford (1-2, 0-0 SoCon) takes part in the NC State/UNC Tournament on Sept. 3-4, facing East Carolina, NC State and North Carolina, while Mercer (3-0, 0-0 SoCon) heads to Denver to play Northeastern, Northern Colorado and Denver in the Denver Tournament, also held Sept. 3-4.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Josannah Vazquez (ETSU), Neci Harris (Furman), Taylor Lynch (Mercer), Kayla White (UNCG), Kenya McQuirter (Samford), Gylian Finch (Chattanooga) and Merry Gebel (Western Carolina).

Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Taylor Roberts (ETSU), Andrea Aceveda (Furman), Hannah Knier (UNCG), Emily Naubert (Samford), Paige Gallentine (Chattanooga), Johnna Robinson (Western Carolina) and Abbey Richman (Wofford).

Also nominated for setter of the week: Caroline Dykes (ETSU), Sarah Turner (Furman), Gabriela McHugh (UNCG), Kayla Keshock (Samford), Sophia Bossong (Chattanooga) and Sarah Janourova (Western Carolina).  
 
2021 SoCon Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 30 Meghan Yaffa, R-Jr., OH, Wofford

2021 SoCon Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 30 Megan Smith, Gr., LIB, Mercer

2021 SoCon Volleyball Setters of the Week
Aug. 30 Emily Hodsdon, So., Wofford