SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Sept. 20-26. UNCG outside hitter Kayla White and ETSU setter Caroline Dykes repeat as Offensive Player of the Week and Setter of the Week, respectively, and Western Carolina libero Destinee Dorsey was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office. 
 
White averaged 4.14 kills per set as UNCG went 2-0 with road wins at Chattanooga and ETSU in the opening weekend of SoCon play. In the sweep of the Mocs on Sept. 24, the graduate student tallied a match-high 12 kills and added 11 digs, earning a double-double. White hit .286 in the match and added one assist and three block assists in the win. The next day, the Montgomery, Alabama, native finished with 17 kills, a match high, in a four-set win over the Bucs. She hit .295 in the contest and added 16 digs, recording another double-double, and added five blocks, one assist and an ace. White’s 29 kills were a league-best on the weekend.
 
Dorsey picks up her second defensive nod of the season after averaging 6.00 digs per set in a 2-0 week for the Catamounts. In a sweep at ETSU on Friday, the native of Mobile, Alabama, logged a match-high 20 digs and added four assists and an ace in the win. She tallied a team-high 22 digs in Saturday’s 3-1 win at Chattanooga, adding seven assists. The sophomore leads the conference in digs per set (5.10) and has recorded 20-plus digs in each of her last four matches.
 
After averaging 11.09 assists per set and earning Setter of the Week honors a week ago, the Dykes averaged 12.14 assists per set this week to again nab the weekly honor. In a 3-0 loss to Western Carolina on Friday, the Bucs’ freshman setter dished out a match-high 34 assists and added six digs, one block assist and one service ace in the setback. The next day, the Flower Mound, Texas, native finished with a season-high and career-high 51 assists in a 3-1 loss to UNCG. She added three kills (.333), two service aces, two block assists and a match-high and career-high 17 digs, earning her seventh double-double of the season.
 
After a pair of road matches, UNCG (13-2, 2-0 SoCon), returns to Fleming Gymnasium to host Samford (3-10, 2-0) on Friday, Oct. 1, and Mercer (5-8, 1-1) on Saturday, Oct. 2. Western Carolina (6-7, 2-0) also returns home to host a pair of matches, hosting Mercer on Friday and Samford on Saturday. ETSU (4-9, 0-2) hits the road for the first time in conference play, taking on Furman (6-5, 1-0) on Saturday and The Citadel (4-4, 0-2) on Sunday.   

Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Josannah Vazquez (ETSU), Bella Tolone (Furman), Rayanne de Oliveira (Mercer), Kenya McQuirter (Samford), Chloe Bryan (Chattanooga), Merry Gebel (Western Carolina) and Sarah Barham (Wofford).

Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Kenzie Kellerman (The Citadel), Myra Mrus (Furman), Jaida Howell (Mercer), Kayla White (UNCG), Kate Morgan (Samford), Paige Gallentine (Chattanooga) and Kaitlyn Brown (Wofford).

Also nominated for setter of the week: Sarah Turner (Furman), Gabriela McHugh (UNCG), Kayla Keshock (Samford) 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

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

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