The First Volleyball Weekly Awards of the 2013 Season Announced
MAAC Sports
Player of the Week
Taylor Akana, Siena, Sr., Outside Hitter, 5-7, Kaneohe, Hawaii/Kamehameha
Akana averaged 3.2 kills and 2.1 digs in Siena’s first weekend of play. The senior CLASS Award Candidate began her week with 16 kills and six digs in a 3-1 win over Coppin State. Akana had eight kills at defending CAA Champion Hofstra and at Big East foe St. John’s which won 20 games last season. She added two aces and two blocks on the week.
Libero of the Week
Allie Yamashiro, Manhattan, Fr., Libero, 5-2, Kapoeli, Hawaii/Kamehameha
Yamashiro was stellar in her first weekend of collegiate action, notching three double-digit dig efforts and earning a place on the Crusader Classic All-Tournament Team. In Manhattan’s season-opening win over UMass Lowell on Friday night, Yamashiro recorded 23 digs to go along with eight assists, a service ace and a kill. She followed up that performance by collecting 18 digs, three assists and two aces in a three-set win over Stony Brook before registering 15 digs against Holy Cross. Yamashiro tallied 56 digs in the three matches, an average of 5.09 per set. She also handed out 14 assists in the tournament.
Rookie of the Week
Kaitlyn Griffin, Rider, Fr., 6-1, Middle Hitter, Chesapeake, Va. /Hickory
The 6-1 rookie middle hitter had an outstanding start to her collegiate career, leading Rider to wins in two of three matches at Tulane’s Kathy Trosclair Memorial Tournament in New Orleans. Starting all three matches and playing in all nine sets, Griffin earned all-tournament honors by averaging 2.67 kills per set and 1.00 blocks per set while making only four errors in 44 attack attempts the entire weekend. Against Nicholls State in a 3-0 Bronc win, Griffin scored 10 points and had eight kills and three blocks. In a win against Mississippi Valley State, Griffin led Rider to a 3-0 sweep with 10 kills, three blocks and a .529 attack percentage, making only one error in 17 total attacks.