LANCASTER, Pa. - The Atlantic East Conference announced the Women’s Volleyball weekly award winners on Monday as Marymount’s Harper Wolf and Eliza Freeman earned Player and Specialty Player of the Week honors, respectively.
Player of the Week:
Name: Harper Wolf
School: Marymount
Class: Sophomore
Position: Outside Hitter
Hometown: Austin, Texas
High School: Westlake
Brief Outlook of Week: Sophomore outside Harper Wolf led the offense for the Saints their 2-1 week, including a perfect 2-0 in conference action. Knocking 36 kills, good for 4.0 per set, she hit at a .143 clip across the week. She added a pair of blocks and 10 total digs for a collective 37.0 points, 4.11 per set.
Specialty Player of the Week:
Name: Eliza Freeman
School: Marymount
Class: Senior
Position: DS/L
Hometown: Woodbridge, Va.
High School: Woodbridge
Brief Outlook of Week: Senior libero Eliza Freeman dug out 47 total digs across the Saints 2-1 week, good for 4.70 per set. Adding 15 service aces, 1.50 per set, and eight digs, the Woodbridge, Va. native continued to help the Saints on the defensive front to start 2-0 in AEC play.
Weekly Honor Roll:
Bria Purnell (5th., Gwynedd Mercy): Purnell achieved yet another milestone as she surpassed Hillary Tubbs '06 (1,348.5 points) for the Red and Gold's all-time points mark with her fifth of Gwynedd Mercy University's loss to FDU-Florham. She finished the match with 25.0 points thanks to a season-high 23 kills and a pair of aces. Earlier in the week, Purnell went for 15.0 points with a .355 (13K-2E-31TA) hitting percentage against Centenary University (NJ) (W, 3-0; 25-10, 25-15, 25-14 on Oct. 16) and 23.0 points with a .204 (20K-9E-54TA) hitting percentage against Delaware Valley University. Later in the week, she also totaled 18.5 points with a .268 (18K-7E-41TA) hitting percentage against Rutgers-Newark.
Mia Esposito (Jr., Immaculata): Mia Esposito had a combined 14 kills with a block, and two digs in two matches for Immaculata this week. Esposito had a match high eight kills with two digs to help lead Immaculata to a 3-0 Atlantic East Conference win over Centenary on Saturday, October 19th.
Casey Hagerstrom (Gr., Marywood): Hagerstrom averaged 9.5 points per match to lead Marywood to a 1-2 week. She finished with 20 kills, seven aces, four total blocks and a .250 hitting percentage. In a three-set win over Immaculata, Hagerstrom produced eight kills, four aces and just one error a .412 hitting percentage. She also had eight kills and a .227 hitting mark in a 3-1 loss to Neumann.
Melissa Eddy (Fy., Neumann): Melissa Eddy tallied 39 kills and a .267 hitting percentage in a 1-2 week overall and 1-1 week in the conference. The first year notched a week-high 18 kills in a 3-2 loss to John Jay. In a 3-1 loss to Marymount, she tallied nine digs and 14 digs. Eddy also added 12 kills in a 3-1 win over Marywood.
Ayanna Gaston (Jr., Gwynedd Mercy): Gaston totaled 159 assists, 31 digs, and 20.0 points while directing the Griffins to a 3-1 week that included victories over AEC rival Centenary University (NJ), Delaware Valley University and Rutgers-Newark She recorded 2.5 points, 30 assists, and seven digs in the win over the Cyclones, accounted for 5.5 points, 47 assists, and 11 digs in the win over the Aggies, and totaled 7.5 points, 38 assists, and four digs in the win over the Scarlet Raiders.
Christina Lenzo (So., Immaculata): Christina Lenzo had a combined 19 assists with five service aces, and six digs over two matches. She had nine assists, with three service aces, and five digs to help lead Immaculata to a 3-0 Atlantic East Conference win at Centenary on Saturday, October 19th.
Dani Smith (Sr., Neumann): In a 1-2 overall week, 1-1 in conference action, Dani Smith handed out 125 assists and eclipsed the 3,000 career assist mark. In a 3-1 loss to Marymount, the senior handed out 34 assists and added 15 digs. She followed with 42 assists in a 3-1 win over Marywood. In a close 3-2 loss to John Jay, Smith dished out 49 assists and 10 digs.
Previous Weekly Award Winners:
(9/2) - Player of the Week: Poppy Skjonnemand, Centenary; Specialty Player of the Week: Natalie Bialecki, Marymount
(9/9) - Player of the Week: Kate Etter, Gwynedd Mercy; Specialty Player of the Week: Ayanna Gaston, Gwynedd Mercy
(9/16) – Player of the Week: Melissa Eddy, Neumann; Specialty Player of the Week: Dani Smith, Neumann
(9/23) – Player of the Week: Harper Wolf, Marymount; Specialty Player of the Week: Dani Smith, Neumann
(9/30) – Player of the Week: Bria Purnell, Gwynedd Mercy; Specialty Player of the Week: Dani Smith, Neumann
(10/7) – Player of the Week: Bria Purnell, Gwynedd Mercy; Specialty Player of the Week: Ayanna Gaston, Gwynedd Mercy
(10/14) – Player of the Week: Nayeli Cruz, Neumann; Specialty Player of the Week: Dani Smith, Neumann