NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Loyola junior Karlie McNabb was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Volleyball Player of the Week Monday, while Davidson senior Anela Davis was chosen as Defensive Player of the Week. Davis’ freshman teammate Jackie Bardin was named Rookie of the Week. The awards are for matches played from Sept. 26 – Oct. 2.
McNabb made a statement in her return to the lineup after missing three weeks following the death of her mother, who passed away after a battle with cancer. The outside hitter from Sun Prairie, Wisc., averaged 5.00 kills, 2.00 digs and 0.33 service aces per set, while hitting .262 (30-8-84) in Loyola's two wins over Fordham. In her first match back with the team, McNabb delivered 17 kills, just two shy of her career high, and added eight digs as the Ramblers swept the Rams on Friday. She came back the next day to provide a team-high 13 kills, hitting .297 (13-2-37), and pitching in four digs and two aces in another 3-0 victory over Fordham. In her last four appearances, McNabb has swatted double-digit kills on three occasions, and for the year is tallying 2.91 kills and 2.24 digs per set.
Davis had a monstrous weekend, leading Davidson to defeat Dayton for the first time in program history. Behind her efforts, the Wildcats swept the Flyers in a 3-0 match on Friday and took the series home with a 3-1 win on Saturday. The middle blocker from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., was unstoppable at the net, combining for 17 total blocks, including six solo stuffs. She averaged 2.43 blocks per set across seven sets, and scored an average on 3.07 points per set. she also totaled eight kills on 19 swings with just two errors (.316) on the weekend. She also added in two service aces.
Bardin had an incredible weekend, as the rookie helped lead Davidson to two straight victories over Dayton, including the program's first victory over the Flyers ever. Prior to this weekend, the 'Cats had only ever won one set against the perennial league power. Bardin tallied 25 kills and averaged 3.57 kills per set across a seven-set weekend. The rookie also scored an average of 3.64 points per set, as she hit .429 during Friday night's match and recorded the match-high 12 kills. An outside hitter from Washington, D.C. , Bardin was the Wildcats' go-to option for the weekend sweep, taking 58 total swings.