SPARTANBURG, S.C.– The Southern Conference named its volleyball players of the week Monday for games played Aug. 26-28. Western Carolina outside hitter Merry Gebel was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Catamount middle blocker Eden Punch was named Defensive Player of the Week, while UNCG’s Gabriela McHugh was tabbed Setter of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
 
Gebel averaged 3.08 kills per set and hit .290 as Western Carolina opened the 2022 campaign with a close four-set loss to Kennesaw State, a five-set win at Wake Forest and a 3-0 victory against North Carolina Central as the Catamounts competed in the Wake Forest Invitational. In the opening match of the season, Gebel had eight kills, five digs, an assist and an ace versus Kennesaw State. The Wildwood, Missouri. native tallied her 57th career double-double in the squad’s win over Wake Forest as she finished with 17 kills and 10 digs, along with two blocks, against the Catamounts’ in-state ACC foe. Against North Carolina Central, Gebel hit .526 with 12 kills and an ace. The fifth-year player was named to Wake Forest Invitational All-Tournament Team.
 
Punch, a junior, anchored the Western Carolina defense at the net. The native of Burlington, Ontario, tallied 11 total blocks in the squad’s matches. Punch had two total blocks, one solo, against Kennesaw State, while also contributing five kills and a dig. She logged a career-high eight blocks, also having two digs in the match, in the Catamounts’ first win of the season, over Wake Forest. She added another block and five kills in the team’s sweep over N.C. Central.  
 
McHugh paced UNCG’s offensive effort as the Spartans went 2-1 with wins over Bethune-Cookman and Coppin State before falling to North Carolina A&T in the Spartan-Aggie Tournament. The senior tallied a match-high 34 assists in a sweep of Bethune-Cookman to open the season on Friday. The next day, the Ashley, Indiana native had a match-high 43 assists in a 3-2 win over Coppin State, before having 44 assists in a five-set match with N.C. A&T. The senior also had double-digit digs in every match as she had 11 digs against Bethune-Cookman and Coppin State, while having 13 digs versus North Carolina A&T. McHugh was named to the Spartan-Aggie All-Tournament Team as she moved into fifth place in the UNCG career record book in assists with 2,809.
 
Western Carolina (2-1, 0-0 SoCon) travels to UNC Asheville on Aug. 30 before taking part in the NC State Tournament on Sept. 2-3, facing Indiana, TCU and NC State, while UNCG (2-1, 0-0 SoCon) hosts the Tussle in the Triad and will face South Carolina State, Georgia Southern and UNC Asheville, also held Sept. 2-3.  
 
Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Ava Augustson (Furman), Lauren Deaton (Samford) Natalie Tyson (Chattanooga) and Sarah Barham (Wofford). 
 
Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Ella Voegele (UNCG), Paige Gallentine (Chattanooga) and Kaitlyn Brown (Wofford). 
 
Also nominated for setter of the week: Sophia Bossong (Chattanooga), Sydney Carlson (Western Carolina) and Emily Hodsdon (Wofford). 
 
2022 SoCon Volleyball Offensive Players of the Week 
Aug. 29 Merry Gebel, 5th Yr., OH, Western Carolina 
 
2022 SoCon Volleyball Defensive Players of the Week 
Aug. 29 Eden Punch, Jr., MB, Western Carolina
 
2022 SoCon Volleyball Setters of the Week 
Aug. 29 Gabriela McHugh, Sr., UNCG