SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Sept. 6-12. The Citadel outside hitter Sharlissa De Jesus was named the Offensive Player of the Week, Western Carolina libero Destinee Dorsey was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week, and UNCG setter Gabriela McHugh repeated as Setter of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office. 
 
After COVID-19 protocols delayed the opening of The Citadel’s season by two weeks, De Jesus and The Citadel got off to a 3-1 start to the 2021 campaign. The native of Guyama, Puerto Rico, led all players with 25 kills in The Citadel’s season opener, a 3-2 win over Idaho State on Sept. 7. She added 14 digs, earning a double-double, and contributed five service aces in the victory. The Citadel participated in the Buccaneer Invitational, hosted by Charleston Southern, Sept. 10-11, falling to Northern Illinois in the Bulldogs’ opener on Sept. 10 (3-1) and rebounding to sweep Bethune-Cookman and down the host Buccaneers (3-1) on Sept. 11. Despite the loss to the Huskies, De Jesus led all players with 19 kills while hitting .246 and tallied a team-high 18 digs. The following day, the senior led all players with 14 kills, hit .542, and added four digs and two aces in the sweep of the Wildcats and concluded play for the week with 15 kills and 14 digs, both match highs, to earn her third double-double of the week. For the week, De Jesus averaged 4.56 kills and 3.06 digs per set.
 
Dorsey averaged 4.83 digs per set as the Catamounts went 1-2 in Colonel Challenge, hosted by Eastern Kentucky. In the Catamounts’ tournament opener against Western Illinois on Saturday, the Mobile, Alabama, native tallied a match-high 28 digs, adding three assists and two service aces in a 3-2 win. Later that afternoon, Dorsey recorded 14 digs, a team high, and added four assists in a 3-0 loss to New Mexico. On Sunday against Eastern Kentucky, a 3-1 setback for the Catamounts, the sophomore amassed a team-high 16 digs.
 
McHugh, a junior, repeats as setter of the week after averaging 10.80 assists per set as the Spartans went 4-0 with wins over North Carolina Central, Coppin State, Marist and George Mason. In a midweek contest against North Carolina Central, the Ashley, Indiana, native dished out a match-high 49 assists and added 13 digs, earning a double-double, and nine kills, as UNCG came back to win in five sets after dropping the first two. On Saturday against Coppin State, McHugh tallied 40 assists, a match high, 14 digs and four kills in a 3-1 win. She notched a match-high 38 assists and nine digs, just narrowly missing a double-double, in the first of two contests on Sunday, a sweep of Marist, before concluding play in the George Mason Invitational with a match-high 35 assists and seven digs in a 3-0 victory over the host Patriots.  
 
The Citadel (3-1, 0-0 SoCon) hosts South Carolina State and Presbyterian on Sept. 16 and Sept. 17, respectively, as part of The Citadel Tournament. Western Carolina (3-5) heads to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to take on Houston, Tennessee Tech and Alabama on Sept. 17-18 as part of the Bama Bash Invitational, while UNCG (9-1) takes on Campbell, Jacksonville and UNCW in the UNCW Hampton Inn & Suites Landfall Classic, held Sept. 17-18 in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Maya Mrus (Furman), Kayla White (UNCG), Lauren Deaton (Samford), Merry Gebel (Western Carolina) and Sarah Barham (Wofford).

Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Gina Delancey (The Citadel), Andrea Aceveda (Furman), Jenna Wiggs (UNCG) and Abbey Richman (Wofford).

Also nominated for setter of the week: Belle Hogan (The Citadel), Sarah Turner (Furman), Agnieska Paskevic (Mercer) 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

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

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