NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Saint Louis senior Maya Taylor was selected as Atlantic 10 Conference Volleyball Player of the Week while Dayton redshirt freshman Alayna Yates was chosen as the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week. SLU freshman Kate Aupperle was chosen as the league's Rookie of the Week. The awards are for matches played Sept. 27 - Oct 3.
Taylor earned her second straight Player of the Week honor by leading Saint Louis to a perfect 2-0 weekend in A-10 play with 4.86 kills per set, 2.29 digs per set and 0.71 blocks per set. An outside hitter from Idaho Falls, Idaho, she totaled 5.36 points per set over the two matches. To open the weekend, she posted a double-double with 21 kills and 12 digs against Rhode Island, while also adding two blocks and one service ace. She moved to fourth all-time on the Billikens’ career kills list in the contest. In the sweep over Fordham on Saturday, Taylor collected 13 kills, four digs and three blocks.
Yates helped lead Dayton to back-to-back straight-set wins over Duquesne, averaging 2.17 blocks per set while swinging at .371. A middle blocker from Cedar Falls, Iowa, she tallied nine kills and five blocks in Friday's 3-0 win in Pittsburgh and followed that with seven kills and eight blocks at home on Sunday. Yates tallied 2.67 kills per set and contributed 3.75 points per set for the Flyers.
A setter from Maroa, Ill., Aupperle helped the Billikens to a perfect 2-0 weekend in league play. She averaged 6.43 assists per set, while also contributing 2.43 digs per set and 0.29 service aces per set. On Friday against Rhode Island, Aupperle had 31 assists and six digs. In Saturday’s match with Fordham, the rookie neared a double-double with 14 assists and nine digs, while also adding two service aces. As a team, SLU posted 12 service aces (4.0 per set) in the match.
PREVIOUS VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
| DATE |
OFFENSIVE |
DEFENSIVE |
ROOKIE |
| Aug. 30 |
Hattie Rodriguez, DAV |
Bella Brady, DAV |
Olyvia Kennedy, MASON |
| Sept. 7 |
Whitley Moody, FOR |
Bella Brady, DAV |
Isabel Decker, DAV |
| Sept. 14 |
Jamie Peterson, UD |
Bella Brady, DAV |
Grace Hammond, URI |
| Sept. 20 |
Jamie Peterson, UD |
Mallory Lipski, FOR |
Grace Hammond, URI |
| Sept. 27 |
Maya Taylor, SLU |
Bella Brady, DAV |
Lia Hawken, UD |
| Oct. 4 |
Maya Taylor, SLU |
Alayna Yates, UD |
Kate Aupperle, SLU |